Odd Ideas of a strange muse
by broomstick flyer
Summary: Well it seems that quite a few writers have a folder for their odd ideas or drabbles so I have decide on one for the odd tales we come up with from time to time. Some of the stuff in here will complete, some just small parts we could not use. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1    All Change

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

Hermione opened the front door to find her sister in law standing there soaked with the rain that was falling in a steady mist like form. Without waiting for an invite Ginny stepped into the room and removed her wet cloak hanging it up on the rack. Stepping straight through the kitchen into the living room Ginny looked at her brother Ron as he sat lazily reading a quidditch magazine.

"What skiving off another household chore, you useless hulk?" she questioned before she stepped up to him and glared. "Out… Now… and don't come back until the chores are done or after supper you waste of space." She chuckled at him as he extremely slowly turned to look at her with a cheeky look on his face.

Ron looked up from his magazine and gave his sister a cheeky look that changed to one as if he had been deeply wounded. "Hello sis, nice to see you too. So what's the problem this time… Harry done something stupid?" he managed before he burst into laughter.

Ginny looked at her youngest brother with a huge grin on her face "No you prat, but really I could do with a talk with Hermione. But not until you tell me what it's like playing for a professional team, what was it like hearing the crowd roar?"

"Ginny dear I play for the Cannons, no body roars for us, blimey we're lucky if we get the odd whistle, and then it's only if one of us falls off our broom." Ron laughed almost choking at the look he got from his wife. "Ok… Ok… It was brill Gin, I felt a real lump in my throat I was that nervous, but then I saw you and Harry sitting with Hermione and a lot of the nervousness vanished. I'm glad you two could make it."

Ginny smiled at him "Glad we helped a little. Now seriously George wanted me to ask you if you would be willing to go and help him open up the shop?"

Ron shot to his feet and dropped the magazine on the coffee table. "At last, I had begun to think he would never get over Fred's death, you know, I mean it's been five years. Anyway where is he, where does he want me to meet him?"

"He's still at the Burrow, Katie and Angelina are with him. I think Angelina is hoping that this might be the chance she has been waiting for, she's hoping once George gets the shop up and running again they might be able to pick up from where they were before, you know. Say hello to mum for me when you get there." Ginny said the jesting having come to a sudden end.

"Right, will do. Hermione love I'll see you later okay." Ron said as he grabbed his coat and made for the door.

Hermione watched as her husband left the house and wondered why neither of them had even bothered to pretend any more. Any feelings she had had for Ron had faded when she discovered his lies before they had even reached the end of their first week as husband and wife. Perhaps Ron was as fed up with all the pretence as she was."

Hermione was brought out of her thoughts when Ginny nudged her elbow, "We need to talk." She said as she walked over and checked if the teapot was hot. "Hermione I… er… he didn't tell you before the wedding did he?" Ginny asked as she poured her self out a cup of the still hot tea.

Hermione sat opposite her sister in law and a look of anger flashed across her face. "You knew about… about Ron's little problem? Why didn't you tell me?"

Ginny bowed her head over her cup of tea and nervously blew at the steam. "Ron promised the family he would not ask you to marry him before he told you. He's been telling us all since then that you knew and you were happy to just be with him. I… I… I… just found out I have the female version, I can't have kids either."

"Gin, it's not the having no children that's the real problem. Ron's er… 'tackle' doesn't work at all Gin. I've been married for three and a half years and I'm still a bloody virgin. Do you have any idea just how frustrating and urrghh… that is Gin?" Hermione seethed at her best female friend.

Ginny stared at Hermione with her mouth open for several seconds before she was able to speak. "Bloody hell. That brother of mine is such a bloody idiot at times. So he doesn't, you haven't… oh hell… but… er hang on. This could solve so many things." Ginny gave Hermione an odd appraising sort of look before she continued. "Tell me the honest truth Hermione. In fact I want you to give me a witch's oath that you will answer my next question and answer it truthfully."

Hermione looked at her best friend of nearly ten years and she could see a depth of pleading in her eyes she had never seen there before. "Okay Gin you have my oath to answer your next question truthfully."

Ginny took a deep breath and steadied herself by grasping tightly to the edge of the table. "Are you still in love with Harry?"

Hermione was shocked that Ginny had known she had been in love with Harry, she was slightly more shocked when the oath kicked in and she answered "Yes Gin, I always will be." As she was expecting Ginny to explode in anger at her answer she was totally shocked when Ginny smiled.

"Thank the gods for that…" Ginny said a look of relief flooding her face.

Hermione was having trouble following all that was happening it seemed so surreal. Ginny who had always seemed so possessive when it came to her husband Harry, was happy that another woman, a woman who happened to be her husbands' very best friend was in love with him. She simply could not follow what was happening and she needed some answers to it all. "Er Ginny what's going on… I mean I'm confused as all hell here."

Ginny chuckled a little as she looked at her completely confused friend. "It's all so simple, mind you, you were not brought up in a magical family so I can see why you don't get it. First let me tell you that Harry is still in love with you. I even know why he never let you or anyone else know about it. Harry fell in love with you sometime toward the end of your fifth year, but as you seemed to fancy Ron he decided to keep it all bottled up inside. I found out when he was delirious with that swamp fever thing he caught over in the Amazon. Told me all about it, though he had no idea he was talking to me at the time. Anyway let me get to the point. I am going to apply in Harry's name for an annulment. As the last of an ancient magical family he is allowed to have an annulment if his wife is unable to bear him a child. You are then going to marry him… Oh come Hermione don't look at me like that. We both love him, you enough to stay with Ron in a loveless non-marriage. And me I love him enough to let him go so he can have the two things he has wanted all his life, an heir and a mother for his children. You are the one he always wanted."

Hermione sat her mouth open as she digested all the Ginny said, she could see only one problem with it all though, she was married, all be it a sexless marriage, to Ron. She was Mrs Weasley so she could never be with Harry.

"Ginny have you forgotten I'm already married." It was a simple exclamation that Hermione knew Ginny could not refute.

"I'm gonna have to have a talk to that brother of mine… Hermione you are not married if the marriage was not consummated within the first three months. Why you muggleborn don't know these things is beyond me. Tell you what, come back to the Burrow with me and we will take a look on the family tree to make sure, the tapestry is hanging up in the attic."

Two hours later after moving all kinds of junk around in the Burrow attic the two women were looking at a truly ancient tapestry that held the Weasley family tree. Three quarters of the way down the names of the six boys and the one girl that branched from Arthur's name were all quite visible. Bill's name was linked to Fleur, Charlie to Catrina, Percy to Penelope, and surprisingly George was connected to Angelina who's name was in silver and not gold as were all the others. Fred's name was faded and had a black line through it. Ron's name was the odd one as it was the only name that was not connected to another other than his father.

"There we have it Hermione; you are not a 'Mrs Weasley' and never have been. Oh and do remind me I need to have a word with George, seems he and Angelina are soul mates, it's about time he did something about it. Now all we have to do is tell Harry that he is getting married to you… bloody hell the things I do for that man… still as long as you make him happy and don't hurt him I'll try not to cry to much," Ginny said with a small sniffle and a catch in her voice.

"Ginny… er don't you think Harry might have something to say if we just turn up and tell him he's going to marry me?" Hermione asked still trying to believe Ginny was willing to give up the man she loved.

"Hermione, believe me, all I ever wanted was to make Harry happy, now whether I like it or not the only way for me to do that is to let him go. It's obvious that he can't be happy as things are, he's married to a woman he is not in love with and who can not give him an heir. I know he loves me, but he is not and never has been in love with me. Now if you two had taken your heads out of your nether regions some years back we would not be standing in this dusty old attic having this discussion… So that leaves us with Ron, now I don't want you going and getting all angry, but I think I worked out why he has never told you anything. I think he would have completely ignored you if Harry had not fancied you. I know for a fact he would never have gone to the trouble of using and learning that '12 ways' book if he did not have a darn good reason, my dear brother is just too lazy where books are concerned." Ginny huffed as she finished her little speech. "Brothers?"

Hermione found her self nodding in agreement as Ginny laid it all out, that is until Ron's name came up. The first reaction being one of mild fear of what he might do quickly turned to one of indifference; she didn't give a hoot what Mr Ronald Weasley said. She had been his housekeeper, cook, maid and bed warmer for all this time as well as being the main income earner, without any of the benefits. Being a reserve keeper on the worst quidditch team for the past how ever many hundreds of years did not pay very well at all meaning she had to work hard and long hours, first at the office all day and then coming home and taking care of the house and Ron. All that and she wasn't even married to him, and he knew it. If Ron had been stood there right then she would have shown her displeasure to him in no uncertain terms.

"Yes well I think you should be the one to tell Harry. Me I have some packing to do… It would seem Mr Ronald Weasley is going to be moving out of my house in the very, very near future." Hermione said chuckling as she pictured the look on Ron's face.

As the two women were about to part Hermione asked question that had been bothering her for the past hour or so. "Gin? If you didn't know that Ron couldn't get it up when you arrived at my house this morning, what was it you came for?"

Ginny gave Hermione a huge grin, "Well I was going to ask you to shag Harry and get pregnant so he would at least have someone to claim the Potter inheritance when the time came. Even if it was a Weasley, and I felt sure you would agree because I could tell you wanted children."

"So why did you change your mind, why is it you want me to marry Harry now?" Hermione asked puzzled by Ginny's answer.

"Oh that's easy Hermione dear, the ministry is still steeped in its pureblood traditions and they would never accept an illegitimate child as an heir and you are not married." Ginny said as she stepped up to the flue and grabbed a handful of powder. "I might need you at the Grange shortly, you know calm the raging beast down when I tell him we are no longer married." Ginny threw the powder into the flames of the fire and when they turned green she stepped into them she called out "Ministry of Magic," and was gone a second later.

Ron arrived home after a hard day cleaning and dusting at the Weasley shop on Diagon Alley, to find he was locked out, prevented from even trying his keys by a repelling ward. He was also unable to get into the house any other way. Confused he turned to leave the garden so he could apparate to the Burrow to use the floo. As he turned he found himself facing two trunks he had not noticed when he had arrived. He recognised them instantly as they were his own, one was his old school trunk and the other his newer one that he kept his junk stored in. on top of the trunks he found a note _'I know. Goodbye Mr Weasley._' It was signed quite simply '_Miss H.J. Granger_.'

Ron's shoulders drooped and all he could come up with was "Oh Bugger."

Hermione got the floo call from Ginny at five that afternoon. Ginny's head appeared in the kitchen fire and she called out for her best friend. Hermione walked into the kitchen from the living room with a duster and a tin of spray polish.

"Hi Gin. Everything go ok?" Hermione asked as she placed the polish and duster on a nearby chair.

"I need some help with your future husband," Ginny said a rather odd grin on her face, "come on over."

Hermione wiped her hands on the small apron she was wearing and with a quick tug at the strings it came free and joined the polish and duster on the chair. A few seconds later the kitchen was empty and the green glow from the fire place faded away.

Hermione found herself in Harry's study with Ginny standing in front of her. "I think I broke him when I said he was going to be marrying you at the weekend." Ginny said with a sad chuckle.

Hermione looked at the large leather chair that Ginny was pointing at and gulped, "You told him this weekend?"

"Yeah well we need to get this sorted before the press get their filthy hands on it and make it out to be something it's not. So yeah I told him this weekend." Ginny answered as though it was a normal occurrence for a guy to arrive home to be told by his wife that he was no longer married to her and he was going to be getting married to his best friend in just four days time.

As they spoke Harry looked up at Hermione and smiled "I think Ginny might have banged her head, she has this crazy idea that we are no longer married and I'm going to be getting married to you." He said as he pointed to Ginny with a sad look. "You think we should take her to St Mungo's?"

"Well as Ginny says if we don't get this done quick the press is going to be having a field day." Hermione told him getting an incredulous look from him. She studied him for a few seconds before she asked "Ginny did explain this all to you?"

As Hermione looked from Harry's puzzled expression to Ginny's slightly guilty look she gave a quick yet obviously false laugh, "No wonder he thinks we are mad Ginny, honestly."

"Hmm well I never got that far," Ginny said grinning then turning to Harry she began to tell him all that had happened and all they had talked about that morning. Hermione scowled a little when Ginny seemed to enjoy it far too much when she told him that his best friend was still a virgin because her brother was unable to get it up."

Harry started to laugh and he was roaring at something he found incredibly funny while the two women stood and wondered why he found it all so funny. It took him quite some time to get him self under control and was able to explain to them that Ron had spent the first three or four months of his marriage bragging to Harry about how he had Hermione to enjoy and Harry would never get his dreams fulfilled.

"All that time and he couldn't even…" Harry managed before he noticed the two women did not seem to find it at all funny. "Okay, why that's what I want to know?" he finally said.

"Why what Harry?" Ginny asked.

"Why now, why did Hermione marry him, why was I not told about this before?" he asked quietly.

"Why did I marry Ron, well because he was the only one that seemed to want me and being married to him meant I would always be close enough to you to remain your best friend and get to be with you some times at least. Why were you not told about all this, well that's easy. Neither Ginny nor I knew about it until Ginny went to the healers and then came to talk to me. Are you asking because you stopped loving me, or are you just curious?" Hermione told him slight anger in her voice.

"This is bloody awkward, what with my wife…" Harry was cut off when Ginny said

"Ex wife Harry dear I was at the ministry this afternoon and got our marriage annulled, and awkward or not Harry I know you are still in love with Hermione, and she is in love with you so what is the problem… look Harry I have not stopped loving you, but one sided love… that is just not enough is it. Eventually you will start to resent me and then you will begin to hate being married to me because everyone we know will have the thing you have always wanted… children. Harry I don't want you to ever resent me or hate me. Besides you deserve to be with the one you love after all you have suffered. Just know that I will be happy knowing that you are happy. Please Harry." Ginny said as her inner strength wilted a little and tears began to drop from beneath her eyelids.

Harry and Hermione both moved forward to draw Ginny into a hug that turned out to be a three way hug. "Are you okay with this Hermione?" Harry asked nodding slightly toward Ginny.

As always Hermione knew exactly what Harry was asking, "Yes Harry I am, most women don't have a clue about the women their husband was with before they met. Me I know there as only ever been my best female friend."

Ginny swiped at her eyes "And before you ask me that question, this was all my idea." She said cutting him off before he could form the words to ask her the same question. "You want a family Harry and I am happy knowing that Hermione can give you that. Though what your so called best mate is going to be thinking or saying I have no idea. Though I don't suppose he would want it to be common knowledge about his little problem, which might keep him quiet."

"But where will you go? What will you do?" Harry asked quietly hoping not to upset Ginny again. He had a good idea of just what it was costing her to do all this.

"I hadn't really thought that much about that side of things yet," Ginny admitted rather reluctantly. "Though if you don't mind Harry, I wouldn't mind living at the cottage now it's all finished."

"Course you can Gin, I don't think I could ever live in Godrics Hollow. Too many bad memories really. I'll also set you up with a monthly income so you don't have to worry about money." Harry said as soon as she had finished speaking.

"You never know, maybe Neville will still be interested. Maybe we could you know get together…" Ginny started but then trailed off before taking a deep breath and starting again. "You know Harry love like you said this 'is' bloody awkward."

Hermione stood feeling torn she was feeling happy because she was finally going to be with Harry and guilty because it was at a huge cost to her best mate. She looked nervously at the two of them and knew that she should give them some time alone. "I'll talk to you later eh?" she asked as she moved back to the floo.

Harry gave her a quick smile, which was quickly copied by Ginny. "Ok Hermione, I'll floo you when things are sorted."

Harry helped Ginny as she packed her belongings and he just could not feel right about it all. "Ginny we don't have to do this you know."

"Sorry Harry but we do, we are no longer married and you can't change that now, just be happy with Hermione the way you should have been and perhaps you could name me as godmother to your first girl, yeah? Besides I will still have all my memories and you will have your children. It's for the best Harry, I told you I don't want you ending up hating me, and well we had some fun didn't we?" Ginny said bravely. Later that night Ginny cried herself to sleep, she missed Harry already and the Potter cottage seemed so lonely, that and she was not feeling as strong as she had made herself out to be earlier.

Ron was back at the Burrow and sleeping in his old room, he had refused to tell either of his parents why he had moved back home, even when his mother had threatened to go and sort his wife out for him. Arthur was confused when Molly tried the floo to talk to Hermione only to find it blocked to all calls from the Burrow. Arthur decided he would ask Hermione when she came into the ministry in the morning, in fact he thought as its Tuesday I can catch her early, she always has that small conference Tuesday morning.

Tuesday lunch time Ginny was sitting in the Burrow trying to explain everything to her mother. Molly Weasley who had a soft spot for both Harry and Hermione listened as her teary eyed daughter told her what she had done and why. Putting two and two together and getting the right answer for a change Molly exploded. Threats of what she was going to do to Ronald Bilius Weasley when he came back from helping George made Ginny cringe at the thought of the pain her brother could end up suffering simply because he was jealous of his supposed best friend.

Ginny was still sitting at the table in the Burrow kitchen when Ron arrived home and she moved further away from her mother when her mother took in a really deep breath.

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO THAT POOR GIRL?" Molly began with, making the windows rattle with the volume of her voice.

Ron sat down at the table with a confused look on his face "What did I do? She locked me out for no reason," he declared as though he had been wronged.

Ginny knew without looking at her mother that it was definitely the wrong thing for her brother to have said. She cringed when her mother took in another deep breath.

"RONALD, NEVER IN ALL MY DAYS HAVE I MET SOMEONE SO SELFISH. YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD HER THE MARRIAGE WAS VOID WHEN YOU COULD NOT PERFORM YOUR DUTY." Molly ranted her face scarlet in colour "the shame of it, it will kill your poor father knowing that there is one of his son's 'a Weasley' who can't get it up."

Ron's face went crimson and his mouth moved for several seconds before he spluttered out "She told? She bloody told you, when the hell did she tell you?"

"Ron, my dear thick brother remember I called on you yesterday to speak to Hermione. Well I was going to ask her to have a baby because you did not have any. I was going to ask her to have Harry's baby so there would be a heir to the Potter estate. That's when I found out that she is still a virgin after being married to a Weasley for three and a half years. I was the one who told Hermione that you were not married, we even checked on the family tapestry. So instead of asking her to just have a baby for Harry that I discovered I could never have I asked her to marry him this weekend. They both deserve a family and far more out of life than the deal they were getting, they love each other and now they can be together and have a dozen kids." Ginny told him calmly.

Ron was far from happy but as he continued to rant about Harry bloody Potter stealing his wife, Ginny quietly asked what people might say if they happened to read in the prophet that Ronald Weasley had illegally mislead The great Hermione Granger, heroine of the Wizarding world into working as his house keeper because he did not want it known that his wedding tackle was non functional.

Ron paled to a very pasty white "You wouldn't? you wouldn't dare."

"Oh don't try me Ron, I gave up an awful lot for my two best friends and you and your bloody mouth are not going to ruin it for them." Ginny replied.

"And if Ginny wouldn't you can be sure I would, do you know what you were risking with what you did? More than half the members of this family owe a life debt to those two. You know if it was not for the colour of your hair I would question if you are really one of my children." Molly said rather forcefully.

Tuesday lunch time Harry floo called Hermione at home because she was not in her office. He found Hermione sitting at her kitchen table having a drink of tea. As Hermione noticed Harry's head appear in her fire she smiled at him. "Hi Harry."

"Is it ok if I come through," Harry asked a slight worried sound in his voice.

"Yes come through, I'll get another cup." She said as she stood and walked to one of the cupboards.

Harry stepped out of the fireplace just as she had finished pouring him a cup of tea and placing it at the place he usually sat at. He smiled at her and lifted the cup he asked, "So how are you doing, you know after all that happened yesterday?"

Hermione placed her cup down and with her elbows on the table she placed her hands under her chin so she could rest on them. "Well oddly enough I am doing quite well; I had just about the best sleep I've had in the past four years. And then this morning I realised I hadn't given Ron a single thought, you would think that after all this time I would have missed him or something."

Harry smiled at the woman opposite him, "Odd as it might sound you just described my last twenty four hours to a tee. It wasn't till I thought of calling you that I realised I had not missed Ginny last night, I thought maybe it was because I was a bad husband or something, obviously not if you did the same thing."

For the rest of the week Harry and Hermione got together to discuss what had happened and the swift changes that had taken place in their lives over so short a time. Neither of them mentioned about them getting married as Ginny had insisted they do. It seemed enough just to be together talking about their past without worrying about their future yet.

On the Saturday morning Hermione had just arrived in Harry's kitchen and was about to call out his name to see where he was when the floo flared again and George stepped out, followed by a radiant looking Angelina. "So where is the lucky man then?" George asked a huge smile filling his face.

"No idea yet, I only just arrived a second before you," Hermione answered before turning toward the living room and calling "Harry, you here."

When Harry appeared through the French windows that led out into the garden, George stepped forward and grabbed his elbow, "Come on mum is waiting," he said pulling Harry toward the fireplace.

While George sent a protesting Harry off to the Burrow Angelina led Hermione to the floo with the same words. Hermione arrived at the Burrow to find the kitchen filled with people she knew. Even her parents were there, though they looked rather confused with what was going on. Hermione looked around in surprise when she heard Molly declare "The minister will be here in three quarters of an hour, so I suggest every one get moving."

Half an hour later she found her self up in Ginny's old room, dressed in the same gown that she had used for the only dance she had attended while at school. The periwinkle ball gown looked like new and fitted her older figure like a glove thanks to work done by Katie Bell. Harry had been dragged into Percy's old room and the twins had given him his dress robes with orders to put them on and hurry up about it.

Dressed in her ball gown and her hair done up in a bun of sorts Hermione was led out into the Burrow garden by the girls there. Most of them were her friends from school, though Fleur and Catrina were both there too. She was ushered along until she was standing next to an equally confused Harry. They were just sharing one of their rather famous looks trying to work out what was going on when the minister appeared.

Five minutes later Hermione found herself repeating the wedding vows while several of the women gathered were wiping tears away with small frilly handkerchiefs. Harry like Hermione found himself repeating the wedding vows to an arousing cheer from all his mates. Before they had fully realised what was happening Kingsley Shacklebolt the minister was saying you may now kiss the bride.

"When Harry looked around George poked him in the ribs "You, you bloody fool, get on with it, we have beer and fireworks next."

Harry looked at Hermione and smiled "Not a bad story for the kids eh, captured, kidnapped and married all in under an hour." He then chuckled a little.

"Well I suppose they think we wasted enough time, I wonder where Ginny is?" Hermione said as Harry leaned forward a little and kissed her for the very first time. It was a kiss that neither would ever forget even though it was not a passionate kiss it was still special.

Fireworks were set off by George and Angelina while Katie and Fleur served everyone a beer. Neville Longbottom tapped his wand gently on the side of his beer glass and called for some silence.

"Okay you folks know we are here to celebrate an event that should have happened five or maybe even six years ago, alas these two," he pointed at Harry and Hermione "never bothered to take their heads out of their butts long enough to see what all the rest of us saw. We also know that were it not for Voldemort and our esteemed head master Dumbledore the pair of them would have seen this day much, much earlier. Still better late than never, and folks we have Ginny to thank for it. Without her need to see Harry Happy we would not be here to celebrate the wedding of Harry and Hermione. Pity Ron couldn't see it but I'm told he is unavailable at this time. To Harry and Hermione cheers to you both." He finished up by making the toast and drinking half his beer in one gulp.

Harry and his new wife watched as the last party guest wandered off in the same direction that everyone else had. Luna Lovegood with a wave of her hand went off toward Ottery St Catchpole in search of Neville, who it happened was the first to leave the party saying he was off to buy more beer. Strange how everyone had expected him to return after a short period of time with a fresh barrel or something and as he did not return the guests had one by one gone looking for him.

"Just over an hour and a half, I recon that has to be one of the shortest wedding parties in history." Harry declared as he sat with Hermione outside the Burrow back door. "do you think they will miss us if we go now?"

Hermione chuckled a little "No I don't think they will. So Mr Potter any idea at all how that just happened?" she asked smiling.

Holding hands tightly Harry apparated them to the Grange, which was the larger of the Potter homes. Sitting in the kitchen with a cup of hot chocolate each Harry and Hermione both looked nervous. "So Hermione love, are you okay with all this, I mean a week ago I was with Ginny and you thought you were married to Ron and now here we are after being ambushed into a marriage." Harry asked nervously.

Hermione looked worried not sure how to answer him, she loved him more than she had ever thought was possible and her dream from when she was just thirteen years old had come true that day. Then she looked into his eyes and saw the fear of rejection in his eyes and she found her answer. "I feel I shall now be happy for all time Harry, we both will, you and me together to the end as it should have been."

Harry wanting to be considerate with his best friend and new wife spent the next half hour kissing and cuddling before leading Hermione up stairs to bed. "We'll use the master suite, Ginny never slept in there always said she did not feel right, like she didn't belong there or some such thing. Will that be ok?"

An hour later Hermione had her very first orgasm brought about by someone other than herself. She admitted to Harry that she had never been touched in any sexual way by Ron, because after he had told her about his little problem right after their wedding reception she was so angry with him for misleading her into marriage when he knew she wanted children at some point. She had with held everything from him, including hugs. Although when it was needed she had let him give her small kisses when in public to uphold the façade they put on their lives.

Fifteen minutes later she asked Harry to be gentle and slow it being her first time making love. Harry was as gentle as he could be and having broken her maidenhead he had paused for a while and then with a great amount of will power he removed himself from her and promised they would start again in a day or so in order that she could enjoy their first time lovemaking properly and pain free when the broken hymen was healed, but doesn't mean we have to leave the bed.

It was over an hour before they fell asleep having enjoyed each other in several ways that did not include penetration. Hermione fell asleep sexually satisfied and looking forward to the following night when she was sure she would truly enjoy full on sex for the first time in her life. Harry slept beside her with a sort of satisfaction he had never felt with Ginny, his smile did not leave his face through out the night.

Three days after their first wedding anniversary Hermione was in St Mungo's where she gave birth to two identical twin girls, Lily Jane who weighed in at seven pounds and five ounces and Helen Rose who weighed just three ounces less. Both girls had a fine set of lungs that was only matched by the size of their magical core which would day match that of their father.

Harry and Hermione were truly happy together, between them, both had everything they had ever wanted out of life. Their best friend Ginny became Lily's godmother and their friend Neville became her godfather. Angelina and George became Helen's godparents. When the two girls were six month old they got them selves a brother when Andromeda Tonks died from a short illness and as Harry and Hermione were Teddy Tonks godparents it fell to them to take in the young boy.

Hermione sat looking at her two little girls who had both fallen asleep after being fed their lunch and having a short time breast feeding as well. She thought about how much her entire life had changed to become so full of happiness all because her former sister in law discovered she could never have a child. As she usually did she said a silent thank you to Ginny and to which ever deity that gave Ginny Weasley the idea that led to these two beautiful baby girls. She then promised the girls that in a couple of years they could become big sisters.

Ron ended up disowned by Arthur his father, because of his treatment of Hermione. Every time he had a date with anyone it seemed one of his former family slipped up and revealed his little secret, as it had to it eventually reached the news papers and everyone in the magical world knew Ron had a broken wand.

Ginny ended up getting married to Dean Thomas who's wife died giving birth to a baby girl, Ginny was a great mother to Deans boy and girl. Dean told anyone who would listen when ever there was a party with the Weasley family, that he had the best wife any man could ask for. Ginny was truly happy having finally found the real love of her life.

Ginny had been good to her word and told George to get his finger out, then after showing him the family tapistry she sent him off to ask Angelina out on a date. It was just three months later that George and Angelina got married and George laughing loudly declared to his new wife that his wedding tackle was most definitely in fist class working condition, which was the real turning point in George getting over the death of his twin, and becoming once again a joker and clown.

... ...The end of this tale but not the end of their lives. ... ...


	2. Chapter 2 Escaping Molly Weasley

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

Escaping from Molly Weasley.

Harry James Potter sighed quietly to him self. He was tired of hearing Mrs Weasley telling him it was time he settled down, and then dropping elephant sized hints that he should propose to Ginny. It had been the same thing for his friend Hermione and hints about her accepting Ron's proposal ever since the day they were both asked to move in to the Burrow for a while. The afternoon before he and Hermione had been talking and they were both wondering if beating Voldemort had been such a good idea, at least before the last battle they had had some amount of choice over their life even if it was just a little.

The overbearing Molly Weasley was practically trying to force the two of them into getting married young. Neither of them really wanted to think of marriage at all at this stage of their lives, and thinking of marrying a Weasley with still a year left to do before leaving school seemed so wrong to them both.

They had been at the Burrow waiting for news if Hogwarts was to reopen for three very long months, two months longer than they had first intended. Harry had finally reached the end of his tether, just that morning Mrs Weasley had just come right out and told him it was time he proposed to Ginny so that they could begin the preparations for the two weddings. Placing his breakfast plate in the sink he glanced over at Hermione and with a simple look asked her to meet him outside in a few minutes.

Ten minutes later he was joined in the chicken shed by a basket carrying Hermione. Harry knowing where they would meet had already gathered all the days' eggs together and helped her to quickly place them all in the basket. "Hermione, I think it's time you and I went to join your parents, if we stay here we are going to end up forced into being married before we have had a taste of the freedom we worked so hard for. I think if we keep resisting Molly might try the same thing on us she did on Arthur. Australia sounds good and I have my passport, drivers' licence and other stuff from the Goblins, we could leave tonight while they are asleep. Please Hermione, I can't leave without you, I get the feeling that if I do they will stop you from ever going after your mum and dad. Tonight at one if we leave then we can be in Heathrow or where ever before they get up and find we are gone. Please don't let Molly's guilt tripping us about family keep us here yet again," He almost begged.

Hermione wanted to see her parents and restore their memories, and she was also as fed up as Harry was with Molly and her smothering, overbearing attitude. So she simply replied "One O Clock, yeah okay, it'll be far easier than trying to get away with them knowing about it."

Hermione was truly shocked when Harry did the same to her as she had done to Ron just before the last battle and pulled her into a tight hug before he kissed her rather passionately. It was a knee weakening, toe curling, mind blowing kiss and it stunned her at just how much she enjoyed it. Like Ron had done with her she did with Harry and she responded positively and passionately kissed him back with all she was.

When the kiss ended they stared at each other for quite some time both of them trying to work out exactly what they were feeling. Harry was the one who broke the silence when he leaned in and gave her a very quick peck on her lips and then said "Tonight then, I'm packing light I suggest you do too."

Hermione chuckled "Handbag Harry, I still have my handbag."

At ten minutes after one in the morning, after a day in which Harry had a really hard time not showing his suddenly realised feelings for his best friend Hermione, the two of them snuck quietly from the Burrow. Hermione left a note on the kitchen table, she chuckled a little as she wrote,

'_Harry and I have escaped, bye, Hermione_.'

Harry glancing over her shoulder almost burst out laughing as he whispered. "Perfect, straight to the point. Even Ron should be able to understand that one."

Once away from the Burrow wards, Hermione suggested that they travel the Muggle way to throw off any Weasleys who might try and follow them, but first hand in hand they apparated to Ottery St Mary where they found a taxi to take them to Exeter. Catching a national express bus into London and arriving in the capital at five am. From the bus station they made their way on foot to Diagon Alley and Gringotts Wizarding bank.

Cautiously and expecting to be thrown out of the bank after their last visit when they had actually stolen one of the banks Dragons, they entered the always open bank doors and made their way across the deserted main hall to the nearest teller. Neither of them noticed one of the door guards send a message spell speeding across the bank to an open door at the far side of the main hall.

Harry was asking if he could access his vault when they were joined by three well armed Goblins who 'required' that the two humans join them in an office. Harry took hold of Hermione's hand and followed the directions given by one of their escort. They quickly found them selves standing in a rather well furnished office in front of an ancient yet well polished oak desk. Behind the desk sat the oldest Goblin they had yet seen.

"Ah Mr Potter, we were expecting you earlier, please take a seat," the old Goblin said pointing at the two chairs that had appeared.

Worried about what might happen Harry and Hermione reluctantly sat down and waited while the Goblin in front of them read something from a file. "So Mr Potter, my name is Sharpaxe and I am the Potter family vault keeper. I have here several forms for you to sign. The first one is to clear payment of five thousand galleons for the purchase of one dragon. So if you would?" Sharpaxe said pushing a parchment and quill across the desk. "There is also the bill for the lining and doors of the new dragon exit you created, which amounts to seven thousand galleons. Once you have signed those we can discuss the future of the Potter vaults."

Harry gave a confused look at Hermione who gave him a slight nod of her head to let him know she thought he should sign the forms. Having signed the forms Harry pushed them back across the desk and asked "You said you were expecting us, why is that?"

Sharpaxe looked at them with what could have been either a smile or a grimace neither of the two humans could tell which. "Our night teller reported a visit at two thirty this morning of two red headed people who were asking questions about you. They wanted to know if you were in the bank or if you had already been and left. Our teller informed them we had had no customers for several hours, but he got the impression they did not believe him."

Harry smiled at Hermione "Seems your idea of travelling Muggle paid off; if we had apparated as I wanted the Weasleys would have caught up to us." They were interrupted by Sharpaxe who cleared his throat loudly and brought them back to the matter at hand, the Potter family vaults.

"So Mr Potter, is Mrs Potter to be added to access the vaults?" Asked the Goblin as he pushed yet another form across the desk.

"Mrs Potter!" Harry exclaimed "I'm not married."

Sharpaxe gave Harry an odd look before speaking "Mr Potter Goblin records are not wrong, we do not make mistakes. You were magically married to one Hermione Jane Granger. I have here a copy of the magical vows made, Mrs Potter vowed to be with you to the end and you Mr Potter accepted the vows with the words 'yes to the very end."

Harry looked at Hermione, he could remember so clearly the day she had made that vow to be with him to the end, but she had meant the fight against Voldemort. She was not making wedding vows and he had never thought of her vow in that way.

Sharpaxe looked at the two teens and quietly spoke to Hermione "You must be a Muggle born or you would have known that the vow you made was part of a magical marriage vow. I'm afraid there is nothing that can be done to undo the vow; magical weddings are for all eternity. There is no divorce or annulment like there is with a muggle marriage."

Hermione looked shocked and her mouth was working like a fish out of water. Harry looked at her and nodded then he signed the form, if she was his wife then she was entitled to share everything he owned. He decided to talk to her about this development later and when they reached Australia she could choose what she wanted to do. If she wanted to be married to him he would be truly happy about it, if not she could leave him and he would remain in Australia away from the hell that was magical Britain.

Two hours later with two new vault keys and a debit card in his and Hermione's possession Harry once again holding Hermione's hand found them standing in front of a door that according to the Goblins was a direct link to the Gringotts Canberra branch. It had cost two hundred and fifty galleons for the two of them, guaranteed untraceable travel to the Australian capital, all they had to do was open the door and step through. Taking a deep breath Harry opened the door and together they stepped into the small room. After a swirl of colours and several seconds in complete swirling darkness they found themselves standing facing the door they had just entered. Stepping through the door they were relieved to find that they actually were in Australia.

Having discovered that he was more wealthy than he had known made the search for Hermione's parents much easier for Harry and his wife. They had only been in Australia for a few hours. Just long enough to book into a hotel and later have an evening meal when they made their decision to remain together and live as man and wife. Their decision may have been influenced by the fact that Harry had given Hermione another toe curling kiss which ended up with them making love three times before falling asleep together for a few hours.

Finding the Grangers had been fairly easy as there had been only one dental surgery opened in the past eighteen months under the name of a dentist named Wilkins which was the name Hermione had given to her parents. A short trip on an internal flight and a taxi ride from the airport to the outskirts of a small town and Harry was watching as Hermione returned her parents back into them selves by removing the blocks on their memory.

The first thing the two Grangers asked was how the war had faired and was it all over. They were both rather relieved and seemed very happy when they discovered that Hermione would not be getting together with the Weasley boy. They were only slightly less happy when they were told that Hermione was now Mrs Potter. Never the less they all celebrated being reunited into the early hours of the morning.

Harry and Hermione spent the next month living with the Grangers before deciding to settle down in the rather pleasant quiet town. The Grangers chose to remain as well and continued on with their surgery until they were in their late sixties when they chose to retire and spend time with their grand children and great grand children.

Harry thanks to his inherited wealth was able to help out the local industries by investing in them or granting them loans. He became well known locally as a rather good business man. With Harry's help Hermione started a school for magic, where the students were from four to seventeen year olds. It rapidly became a very popular school for the Australian magical population.

...


	3. Chapter 3 Fifteen suddenly sixteen

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

Fifteen suddenly sixteen.

Harry James Potter sat in the back seat of his uncles' car and watched as the two of his guardians gave him hateful looks before they began to threaten him what would happen to him when they got him home unless he did exactly what they wanted. His uncle Vernon Dursley then went on to list just about every chore it was possible to find in a house.

As the car pulled away from Kings Cross railway station Harry's thoughts drifted to the rather strange parting he had just had from his best female friend. Once they were out of the Wizarding part of the station and his other best friend Ronald Weasley had left for Ottery St Catchpole with his family Hermione had rushed up to him and wrapped him in a hug, which in itself was not so unusual for Hermione. What had been unusual was her desperate whisper for him to read the small note she had secretly slipped in to his pocket. She needed him to read it before he was out of London, and it was extremely urgent.

Checking his aunt and uncle were not watching him he felt through his pockets until he found the note tucked into the back pocket of his jeans. Unfolding the note that was written on ordinary plain paper he began to read, it was only a short note but it struck him as rather odd.

Harry please get away from Dursleys asap. Urgent we meet at McDonalds Kings Cross today. Urgent please I need you. Hermione.

Harry read the note twice then looked out of the window; they had not travelled more than a few hundred yards from the station and were sitting in a traffic jam. Looking up into the rear view mirror he could see his aunt and uncle with that look on their faces, the one that meant they had said all they were going to say to him and they would now completely ignore him as if he did not exist until they arrived in Little Whinging. Taking a look at the people around the car and especially the two cars behind them that he could see the passengers of he decided to take a chance. Hermione needed him and he would never let her down. Bending over as if he had dropped something he pulled his invisibility cloak from the pocket of his over sized jacket and wrapped it around him self.

Harry stood looking into the car, a look of shock on his face. He had slipped out of the car while in the traffic jam and he had intended to close the door carefully and quietly but a passing cyclist had forced him to rapidly slam the door shut and jump out of the way. Sitting in the front of the car his relatives 'as he loosely termed them' sat showing no reaction at all; it was as if they were under some spell or something. After watching them until the car in front moved forward a few yards he shook his head and made his way toward the fast food outlet where Hermione was waiting for him. Walking up the middle of the road between two lanes of cars he quickly and safely reached the place he needed to be.

Entering the shop, at first due to the crowd he could not see Hermione but after walking to look at the last table he saw her sitting with her parents, all three of them had untouched food in front of them, and almost in unison they took sips of their tea. Still wrapped in his cloak Harry slid into the seat next to Hermione. He heard her murmur "Thank god," when she felt his presence.

Just a minute later Hermione declared slightly louder than was really necessary "I have to go powder my nose, I wont be long." As she started to turn she gave Harry a small nudge with her knee and knowing her so well he was already half way off his seat.

Moving to one side he allowed Hermione to pass him and then carefully followed her right into one of the cubicles in the ladies rest room. Hermione put up a wandless and soundless silencing charm. As soon as the silencing charm was in place she grabbed Harry and clung to him as if her life depended on it and sobbed into his chest.

Pulling herself together when Harry removed the cloak Hermione pulled a scroll of parchment from her small hand bag. Slowly she passed it to Harry. Looking at the scroll he was surprised to see Dumbledore's seal on it, it had obviously been opened before so he unfurled it. An anger like none he had ever felt before surged through Harry as he read the scroll. The entire thing boiled down to a bill of sale.

Hermione Jane Granger had been sold to Ronald Weasley to take as his wife anytime before the 31st of August. An oath to use any spells charms or potions required to make Hermione accept Ron's proposal was sworn to by none other than their headmaster, who was apparently her magical guardian until the day she married a wizard. Ron had paid the princely sum of five Galleons which had been handed to her parents. What the Weasleys and Dumbledore did not know was that for some unknown reason Mr Granger had been able to shake off most of the effects of what ever spell the old man had put on him and his wife Helen to get them to agree to and keep quiet about the transaction.

"I'll murder the old bastard," Harry declared as his magic began to flare due to his anger.

"Harry calm down, please. Dad wants to talk to you about something he overheard as he fought off the spell. Will you talk to him for me?" Hermione almost begged.

Harry looked at the sad expression on his best friends face and he had a strange hurting in his heart for her. It took him but a second to agree, he would do absolutely anything for her even if it meant dying for her. That was when he knew she actually meant far more to him than he had previously acknowledged. He was in love with her. "Okay Hermione, but take my word for it Ron will never lay a finger on you. I'll kill the bastard for even thinking about it, him and his whiskered old friggin friend."

Hermione smiled a sad smile at him while hoping he would be willing to listen to her father and do as he asked. She had wanted to ask Harry her self but her dad had convinced her it would be better coming from him. Hermione's mother though she had no recollection of what had happened or how, agreed whole heartedly with her husband, she knew if he told her it was true that they had sold their daughter, then it was true. What he had suggested as a way to get Hermione out of the evil old mans clutches and away from any potions or charms used to make her fancy the less than intelligent red head was extreme for him, but it proved beyond any doubt that he was telling the truth about how they came by the bill of sale.

With Hermione's instructions in his mind Harry made his way into the gents and stepped into the only cubical in the small toilet room. Just a few minutes later he was joined by Richard Granger who told him of hearing Dumbledore promising Molly he would deliver Hermione to the Burrow for the entire summer after she had spent a day with her parents, he then laid out his plans to Harry. Though shocked and surprised at what the older man wanted him to do the almost fifteen year old Harry agreed without any hesitation.

Fifteen minutes later Harry had quietly slipped into the Grangers car as Hermione leant on the open back door and talked about some inane subject with her father to give Harry the opportunity to pass her and unseen enter the car. Once he was out of her way and sitting hidden under his cloak he gave a very quiet cough letting her know she was clear to climb into the car. After a long journey holding Hermione's hand and chatting quietly in the back of the car about how people would notice her if she had a sudden liking of Ron after years of his insults and bad manners. Harry got his first real look at a ferry as Mr Granger drove the car onto the car deck for the journey across to France.

Once they were through the French customs post Harry was able to finally remove his cloak when they stopped so that Hermione could make a phone call. A further journey of three hours Harry found himself being welcomed into a large farm house by Fleur Delacour and her family. Harry Hermione and Mrs Granger were shown around the farm house and instructed how everything worked by Fleur and her mother while her father and Richard were away somewhere making some arrangements. Hermione thanked the Delacour's profusely for helping them on such short notice. Fleur waved it off saying the entire family was happy to help Harry and his best friend after he had rescued Gabriel during the tournament.

Three hours after arriving at the farm house Mr Delacour returned and handed Harry several forms and documents. Glancing through them Harry found himself, thanks to some computer whiz at the French ministry of magic, a year older in the muggle world, and he also held written permission to do anything an adult could, that was signed by both of the Dursleys. Petunia being his muggle guardian had also signed a separate permission slip so that he could carry out Mr Grangers plan.

Two minutes after midnight on the day of Harry's birthday a rather large limo turned up at the farm house and took the Grangers and Harry into the nearby town. Harry stood along side Hermione with the older Grangers and Delacour's all standing behind them. In a small muggle ceremony Harry and Hermione were married by the town mayor. There was a small party later at the farm and the now two sixteen year olds celebrated being married.

"That will bugger the old fool's plans up, what ever they are," Harry declared as he stood with the two Grangers. As Harry finished speaking Mr Delacour joined them and with a huge smile on his face he looked at Harry and Hermione.

"I have placed the guardian transfer and muggle marriage details with the ministry, now as soon as the marriage is registered with our ministry you Mr Potter will be Mrs Potter's magical guardian and she will be completely free of that evil contract, you your self Harry will no longer require a guardian. I know it is a little sexist Mrs Potter you still needing a guardian till you are seventeen but it has been that way for centuries and I doubt it will change anytime soon." Mr Delacour declared a huge smile on his face.

"So how long does it take for the marriage to be registered?" Harry asked.

"Oh that will happen as soon as your magic's merge as you consummate the marriage tonight." Mr Delacour said matter of factly.

Harry and Hermione both paled a little before they then blushed red at this little snippet of news, they had thought as did the older Grangers that their muggle wedding was all that was needed to change Hermione's magical guardian and break the contract. None of them had thought that they would need to go to that stage of the marriage for quite some time.

Harry turned to Mr Granger and with a small frown he said rather loudly "It's a bloody good job I love your daughter so much, but I doubt she actually loves me that way and I will not do anything she is not ready for."

Harry was shocked when he suddenly found Hermione wrapped around him with her lips firmly planted on his. As she ended the rather breath taking kiss she looked into her new husbands eyes "Harry, you have no idea how much I have wanted to hear that, and I am even quite ready to have your baby if that's what you want." She then kissed him again even more passionately than the previous kiss.

It was two nervous teens who went up to bed that night. Neither of them had ever really had any experience with the opposite sex, and Harry had to admit to Hermione that he had never received the talk so he would be 'winging it' as it was called. He settled just a little when he got her to promise to help him if was making any mistakes or not doing as he should.

After a rather clumsy first time that was not really very satisfying for either of them they took a rest, after an hour of rest and some serious foreplay they shared a second session that was far, far more enjoyable and as they reached their peaks for the first time they did so together and they were rewarded by their magic and souls coming together to enhance their ultimate enjoyment of the act of making love.

In a desk drawer at the back of a gaudy orange bedroom in a quirky wood and brick built house a small fire started, centred on a parchment contract with a rather large elegant wax seal. Moments after the parchment and its wax burst into flames the desk was also burning. The family that owned the quirky house that the bedroom was a part of were at that time wandering around a newly opened joke shop in Diagon Alley. They would be in for quite a shock when they tried to return home via the floo only to find no access to their home.

The Weasley family returned home from their shopping trip to find their home a burnt out shell, many parts of which had collapsed. They were informed by their neighbour of many years Xenophilious Lovegood that the fire started in one of the bed rooms. His daughter who had also helped try to fight the fire added to her fathers' comment that the fire had started in Ron's bedroom.

Hogwarts School of magic was witnessing something it had not seen in many generations. Staff who had remained at the school for the holiday were sitting around unwinding talking about their plans or discussing the past term when the headmaster was surrounded by a rainbow of colours that appeared to be leaking from his body and integrating with the walls of the castle. It was the diminutive charms professor who first gave the others an idea of what was happening.

"Albus what on earth possessed you to break an oath? What was it? who was it too? At the rate your magic is being stripped you will be less than a squib by midnight." The little man asked with a worried look on his face.

Albus Dumbledore knew exactly what oath he had broken, it was an oath he had forgotten about until his magic started to drain away. He had failed to do something to Miss Granger to fulfil his part of the bargain he had struck with the Weasley family. He also knew he would become less than a muggle well before midnight as magic exacted payment not only for breaking his vow, but also for his many other transgressions. He felt completely humiliated when Fawkes the phoenix that had been with him for over forty years appeared and took up perching on the back of a chair to watch the show and looking as if he were laughing at the old man.

One day after the Weasley house had burnt down Molly Weasley got the shock of her life when she opened the daily prophet at the table in the Leaky Cauldron where they were going to stay temporarily. Revealed in the headlines was a declaration of a blood feud on her entire family by Harry Potter and his allies the Delacour family. Just below the article was a full photo of the contract they had made with Dumbledore for the purchase of Hermione Jane Granger, who was now Mrs Hermione Jane Potter.

Just five minutes had passed after Molly had passed the paper to her husband Arthur when an owl arrived from the ministry; Arthur Weasley was fired for being in the slave trade. Two minutes after that the owner of the Leaky Cauldron, who was good friend of Harry's threw them out of his pub with definitive orders to never darken his door again.

Homeless and living in a magical tent the Weasleys were soon joined by William, Charlie and Percy Weasley. They had lost their jobs due to the suspicion that they might be involved in the illegal slave trade like their father and brother Ronald Bilius. It was a far from happy family that cursed Ron for his stupid and selfish ideas. It was not many days later when the entire family had heard enough of Ron's complaints that his best mate had stolen his girlfriend, and they threw him out of the tent and then disowned him entirely.

The Weasleys lived the rest of their lives as outcasts believed to believe in the slavery trade. After being disowned Ronald Bilius was never seen or heard from again by any who knew him in Britain.

Five years later after easily disposing of Tom Riddle with a pump action shotgun before they had even finished their seventh year education at Beauxbatons School. Harry and Hermione had their first child, a boy that they named Reginald Harry Potter. Four more children would follow during the next ten years completing the extremely happy family. Both Harry and Hermione became healers in the premier French magical hospital, the Grangers worked in their own dental surgery until Helen Rose, the second of the Potter children, along with her new husband took over the practice from the grandparents.

Harry and Hermione enjoyed a long happy marriage of one hundred and fourteen years; Hermione was the first to pass on to the next great adventure. All Harry's family said it was missing his wife so much that had led to the popular hero's death just three months after his wife's funeral.

As per his request a simple headstone was erected to commemorate the two brave hero's of the world of magic. As they had been in life they were laid together in death, many magically important people paid a visit to the small French town where the Potters had made their home. It was said by most that when needing advice many visited the grave of the Potters and afterward they always seemed to make the correct decision. The Potter family always put it down to the wording on the grave of Harry and Hermione, which said.

'It was not always easy to do what was right, and it was not right to always do what was easy'.

The End of this adventure.

…


	4. Chapter 6 A Brother or Sister

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse

A brother or sister

"Harry please! Harry, you have to do this. I'll do anything you want just don't let my girl throw all she has worked for away. All those years of hard work and study will be wasted. Please Harry you have to know I'm right, Weasley will drain all the life out of my Hermione. Harry I can't ask anyone else, you are the one who loves her, she loves you even if she didn't admit it to you. Stop this stupid wedding and I'll even have a baby for you if that's what it takes." Helen Granger begged of her daughters' best friend.

Harry having been in love with Hermione for several years knew that the older woman was right. His one time best mate would indeed suck all the life out of the greatest witch of the millennium. Harry knew for certain that a relationship built on arguing and irrational jealousy could do nothing but harm. He did however chuckle at Helen's last offer of having a baby for him. Hermione had told her mother sometime in the previous four years that his greatest desire was to have a family.

"So what are you finding so funny," Helen asked a small smile replacing the look of worry she wore.

"Oh it's nothing much, just you saying you would have a baby for me, you know." Harry answered.

"Harry I was not joking about that… now that Richard has decided to stay in Australia with his little floozy, well I can now choose to have another baby and to be truthful I have wanted one since Hermione was just three or four years old. I've waited twenty years for this, if you don't want to save Hermione… well why don't you come up stairs with me and we can spend the week while she and the Weasel are away with you putting as many sperm donations inside me as you can possibly manage. after the week is over I'll not ask for anymore donations, or anything else, I promise." Helen almost whispered in his ear.

Harry James Potter was never a stupid man, here was a really good looking woman who was inviting him to her bed with just one simple intention on her mind. To get herself pregnant with no comittment from him. Clasping her hand gently he allowed her to lead him to her bedroom, where for the next eight days he spent more time inside her than he did eating drinking and sleeping all put together.

It was a very tired young man and a slightly sore older extremely satisfied woman who left the room just two hours before Hermione was to arrive home. "So what will you tell Hermione about being pregnant, if indeed you are pregnant and are going to tell her?" he asked smiling as he tucked his shirt in to his waist band.

"Oh the simple truth, you know… all about how kind you were to donate some of your sperm for me. Not my fault if I happen to be talking about artificial insemination first and she gets the wrong idea." Helen chuckled a little then spoke again, "Take her from him Harry, give our little one a brother sister."

Three and a half hours later after dropping Hermione off, Ron left the Grangers while Hermione talking to her mum went on about what an awful holiday it had been with Ron moaning about everything and anything. Harry who had been living with the Grangers for several months was standing out in the garden where he could be seen pottering with the flower beds, while the women talked their women talk. Helen told her daughter that now she was alone how she wanted to try for another baby before she was too old, true to her word she mentioned the artificial insemination before she also told a happier Hermione how she had had a donation of sperm from Harry for the baby.

While the illusion of Harry Potter pottered about in the garden, the real Harry who having had a taste of the mother now wanted the daughter more than he had ever done before, and to be truthful he had wanted her since they were fourteen years old. Followed his red headed ex best mate toward the local railway station.

It looked to the disillusioned Harry like so many other fatal accidents when Ronald Bilius Weasley 'tripped' over something unseen, and fell onto the railway tracks right in front of an express train that was travelling around seventy miles an hour. It took the authorities quite some time to gather the body parts that had once been a wizard.

Inside the house two women were still talking when unnoticed the illusion Harry was replaced by the real one. Just a few minutes later he was called in for tea and sat quite happily listening as Hermione shared the tale of the holiday from hell with Ron.

As Helen followed Hermione up to bed later that night she heard Harry whisper to her that he had decided that the baby did indeed deserve a brother or sister… hopefully in the not to distant future.

"Shame about Ron being clumsy though." Harry said with an exagerated sigh as he entered his bedroom.

...


	5. Chapter 8 Amazing what love can do

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this odd little venture into the Potter verse.

Amzing what love can do. (Another story where we went about as far from what we intended as we have ever done before.)

Harry James Potter sixth year student of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry was sitting quietly in the corner of the compartment on the Hogwarts Express that was taking the students home for Christmas, his head resting against the window as he stared unseeing at the passing scenery. The express was well past the halfway point of the journey and the scenery had changed from mountains and forest to fields and now it was mainly industrial scenery they were passing through, it was a sure sign they were close to their destination.

Harry was supposed to be spending his first Christmas for six years with his relatives. Relatives who actually hated Harry about as much as it was possible to hate someone, their greatest pleasure was to hurt and degrade him as much as they could. However the truth of this visit wasn't so he could see his not so loving guardians. No, he had been taking some supposed special lessons from his headmaster all through the autumn term and had quickly come to realise that with a crazy maniacal Wizard forever trying to kill him he needed some proper training, and listening to the rubbish about Riddle's childhood being spouted by his headmaster was no help at all. This holiday was his opportunity to visit and hire some proper instructors in self defence. He had made several appointments and he intended to keep each and every one.

Sitting across from him was his supposed best mate. A best mate that had hardly said a word to him since the term started. Ron Weasley had been far too busy snogging the girl now sitting on his lap, Lavender Brown.

Next to Ron and Lavender reading a Quibbler magazine that was held upside down was another friend, the unusual Luna Lovegood. Sitting next to Harry was his friend Neville Longbottom. Neither Luna nor Neville were what he would call close friends as he hardly really knew them, but they were friends who had been with him at the DoM the night he lost his godfather. Next to Neville with her head stuck in a book as was usual sat Harry's other supposed best friend Hermione Jane Granger.

Hermione had been the cause of most of Harry's unhappiness for the past few weeks, for reasons he was not sure of she had started to distance herself from him as soon as the term started and things had simply deteriorated and got worse as the weeks passed. She was now at the stage where she was making nasty remarks and comments about his potion making ability. She had also refused to believe in anything he told her and had refused to help him when he asked.

Ron's innocent comment to Neville about the length of their potions home work was followed by Hermione's icy comment "Harry will be ok, I'm sure he can cheat again with that book, like he does in professor Slughorns class."

Inside the compartment the silence was suddenly so thick and heavy it could have been carved by a knife. Every one but Hermione turned to look at Harry. All of them were taken by surprise as Harry slowly stood up, his magical presence in the compartment seemed to grow huge as did Harry's physical presence. The green glow that emanated from his eyes was truly a scary sight to those looking at him. In a voice that was barely above a whisper and yet was packed with command and authority he said "Out, all of you, out now. I want a few words in private with Granger."

There was no argument whatsoever from those in the compartment as they all scrambled to their feet and rushed to get out of the door. Hermione sat and stared looking confused as her friends all left her alone with Harry in the compartment, it was as though she was wondering why they were going, why were they doing as Harry told them. As Ron left and then turned to close the door, he need not have bothered as the door appeared to slam shut with no help needed from human hands. Exceptionally strong silencing and locking charms hit the door making it glow purple for several seconds.

As Hermione sat and watched Harry, a look of surprise on her face, Harry lifted his trunk down from the luggage rack. Placing it on the seat where Ron had been wrapped around Lavender just one or two minutes before, he flipped the lid open and quickly began to remove his school books and then chucking them onto the seat next to Hermione. Harry's school uniform and then all his other school related items and lastly his potions kit were added to the pile of books.

Harry having removed every thing needed to attend Hogwarts from his trunk he flipped the lid shut and locked it with a quick spell. Catching hold of his much lighter trunk he moved to the door. Harry looked down at the girl he had always relied on and a deep sadness filled his heart. Leaning forward a little with one hand he caught hold of her robe lapels and lifted her to her feet, he then shocked her by giving her a real love filled and tender kiss.

Pushing her gently back into her seat he looked into her eyes and spoke quietly "I still love you, always will but you can take this lot, Hogwarts, and the rest of the wizarding world and shove it, I've had enough. Good bye Granger." With those words he dropped an envelope in her lap he then opened the door and walked off, heading down the train in search of another compartment to sit in. Having found some one in every compartment and wishing to be alone he entered the last car which was the baggage compartment and took a seat amongst the many trunks and boxes stored there knowing no one would look for him there.

Hermione sat with her crumpled robes ignored as the fingers of her right hand gently ran across the lips that Harry had kissed. The tingle in her lips seemed to have her mesmerised. She was still wearing a dazed look when her friends returned to the compartment.

The slightly worried Lavender, who was making her first journey to London in their company and had never seen Harry Potter like that before stared at the pile of things on the seat next to Hermione. "Ron? What's all that stuff?" she asked pointing to Harry's discarded school items.

Ron stepped forward and quickly checked one of the books; he then looked down at Hermione who was still staring at the door. "Hermione… Hermione… "HERMIONE! What the hell are Harry's school things doing here?" he asked after finally gaining her attention.

Hermione turned and looked at the pile of items next to her and she began to realise what had happened really had happened. Harry had kissed her with such love and tenderness, the kind of kiss she could live her life receiving, but then Harry's words managed to percolate through the mental haze the kiss had caused. She leapt to her feet and ran from the compartment in search of the best friend she had hurt, the envelope clutched in her hand.

It was a very pale and worried looking Hermione who returned to her compartment, having found no trace of Harry. "He's gone, he's not on the train. I even checked all the toilets," she said as she entered.

There was a strained silence as the other occupants all sat looking at her while she sat down in the spot Harry had occupied. The silence was broken when Luna asked "Why do you hate Harry so much? If it's because of what happened last year at the ministry, well that was your own fault. Harry wanted to keep you safe and told you not to go, just as he told all of us."

"Luna I don't hate Harry… how could you say something like that?" Hermione said actually feeling shocked.

"You don't?... Rrrreally? Well you could have fooled me, so why the bloody hell did you treat him like you did?" asked a rather loud and angry scared Lavender.

"I don't hate Harry, I could never hate him, totally the opposite I love him like the brother I never had, I just wanted a year without being in danger, that's all I wanted." Hermione said as tears ran down her face.

"Well if that's the way you treat people you love, I'm grateful that you don't even like me, because you have a really sick way of showing love," Lavender hissed before turning to kiss Ron again. Distracting him from the evil full on glare he was giving Hermione.

Luna made humph sound as she picked up her discarded magazine "You treat Malfoy far better than you have treated Harry this past term. Is it any wonder he has had enough and left us? I suppose if we pray to the gods hard enough Harry might find a reason to stay in our world and fight but I doubt it would work."

"Harry would never leave us, we're his best friends," Ron voiced with complete certainty from somewhere behind Lavender.

"Ron sweet heart, you can only push some one to the edge so many times before they either slip over or move so far away they can never be pushed again." Lavender said looking Ron in the eye.

"Huh?" was Ron's admirably clever response.

"What she means Ron is that a person can only take so much before they crack." Luna said simply.

"Yeah how many times do you think Harry is going to get knocked down before he stops getting back up?" Neville said joining in with the conversation "His relatives hate him and beat him every summer; you've seen the scars and bruises. Dumbledore forces him to go back there as a prisoner every summer or keeps him a prisoner somewhere else for a few weeks. His so called friends ignore him or treat him hatefully; Voldemort and his cronies are forever trying to kill him. So tell me Ron, what the hell has the guy got that is worth fighting for. You must be really thick to think that Harry would fight for anyone other than Hermione, I mean we share the same dorm so you have to know he is in love with her, she's the reason he fights or at least she used to be."

Hermione was having trouble believing what Neville was saying, she had heard that Harry's family were not very nice people and were verbally abusive but this was the first she had heard about them physically beating him. "Neville, what do you mean they beat him, and why would you think that?" she asked worriedly.

Neville looked at Ron and then at Lavender silently questioning if she could keep what he wanted to say quiet. Deciding that she was to big a gossip he stood up and asked Hermione to take a quick walk with him.

As they were in the last carriage of the train Neville turned and walked to the end of the corridor until they reached the sealed doorway at the end of the carriage. Making sure that they could not be disturbed or overheard Neville made Hermione promise never to reveal what he was about to tell her.

"For the first two years at Hogwarts Harry never let any of us see his back, we all thought he was shy. But just after Christmas in the third year we had a huge snowball fight, by the time we got up to the dorm we were all freezing. Dean suggested we warm up in the showers. Well we did and as usual Harry didn't let us see his back… that is until he lost his grip on the towel he had wrapped around him. We all saw it then, his back looked like a badly scribbled map that some kid had drawn then scribbled all over it. The closest thing I ever saw to the marks on Harry's back were where uncle Henry's dog tried to scratch his way through the garden gate. Harry was treated like the Malfoys treated Dobby, he spent the first ten years living with those swine with a cupboard as his prison/bedroom, and they sometimes locked him in there for weeks at a time without food. Harry has more scars than we could count, the worst part is Dumbledore knows all about it and does nothing. Harry didn't want us to know because he didn't want us to pity him." Neville finished with watery eyes.

"Nev, why did you say Harry was in love with me?" Hermione wanted to know.

"When we were fighting at the DoM, after we all got hurt Harry just checked we were ok then continued with the fight. When you got injured he froze up, he could do nothing until I told him you were alive. Harry's been in love with you for a long time. If you don't believe me simply go and ask Dean or Seamus. You were his only reason to stay in our world," he replied turning to go back to his seat.

Hermione stood there and watched as he walked back to the compartment and then disappeared inside. Her thoughts were all confused as she tried to get control of her feelings again. It was then she noticed the letter she was clutching, opening the envelope she pulled out the parchment and read Harry's easily recognisable scrawl.

'_To the real Hermione Granger, (where ever she is now)_

_I once saw in the mirror of Erised the thing I desired most. It wasn't riches or fame, nothing like that. What I saw was a family. For the past two, nearly three years I thought I had found the woman I was going to share that dream with. She was the most wonderful and beautiful person both inside and out. She had been my best friend and stood by me through all things, but this year that beautiful person did not return to Hogwarts, what returned was a nasty and spiteful shadow of who she had been, she still answers to the name Hermione but she is not the Hermione I love. Dumbledore told me that the power I have that Voldemort doesn't know or understand is love. It's a great shame that that love is no more, it has been destroyed by the one it was all for. Once we reach London and I pass this letter to you, it will probably be the last time you see me because gone now is the only reason I had to stay in the world of magic. Gone is the dream I was fighting for, the future I was fighting for. Tell my jailer not to bother looking for me, for like my dreams I will be long gone before anyone can stop me._

_H. J. Potter_

_The – Lonely – boy – who's – love - died_.

When some hours later Hermione showed Dumbledore the letter from Harry he had looked so disappointed in her that she felt like crying. When Minerva McGonagall her role model read the letter she was so angry she told Hermione that she would no longer be accepted as a worthy Gryffindor and she should feel lucky not to be resorted. McGonagall also withdrew her recommendation for Hermione as head girl due to her treatment of a fellow Gryffindor. Treatment that was bad enough to drive him away from finishing his education.

Harry being in the first carriage after the engine which happened to be the baggage car was the first off the train as it pulled to a stop at platform 9 ¾. Carrying his now thanks to his lack of school possessions, almost weightless trunk he rushed from the platform and through the barrier before anyone else had stepped from the train. After a very brisk walk through Kings Cross station and onto a side road he pulled his wand and standing at the edge of the paving he was almost immediately greeting the conductor of the knight bus that appeared in front of him with a loud crack.

The six 'Order of the Phoenix' members sent to meet the train and take Harry to privet drive where they could keep a watch on him, or as Harry thought of it, '_as usual he was to be imprisoned by his so called guards'_, all of them stood and watched the baggage car pass them, they then turned to face the rest of the train carriages and wait for the students to disembark. While they stood watching one way, Harry Potter was passing unnoticed behind them and simply walked away unseen.

In the year and a half that followed that train ride, despite everyone in the order searching for him nothing was seen of Harry Potter by anyone who knew him, he simply seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth. As their world slowly submitted to the darkness of evil, feelings of guilt seemed to plague Hermione, so every Friday night without fail Hermione sat down to write a letter of apology to Harry asking him to return, and every weekend the letter would be returned apparently unopened. Ron Weasley who had ended things with Lavender during that fateful Christmas holiday and had been Hermione's boyfriend for three months tried to talk her out of what had become like some sort of ritual. Hermione though refused to listen to him and posted the letter as she always did.

... ... ... ...

Voldemort and his death eaters had been quiet, there had not been a single incident in the past month and a half, taking the opportunity that the respite gave them Ron convinced Hermione that they should have a party so that they could get engaged. It had not entered his head to ask if she would marry him, he just assumed that was how it would be.

Later that evening having written a letter telling Harry of her and Ron's upcoming party, Hermione again ignored her boyfriend as she attached the letter to a post owl and sent it on its way. As usual the owl returned the following day with the unopened letter still attached to its leg.

There were twenty people at the Burrow gathered for the party, everyone was sitting finishing off a fine meal when Ron stood up and pulled Hermione to stand with him. It was then that Harry James Potter arrived.

Harry appeared silently behind Hermione and before anyone could speak or move he had petrified everyone. The Harry who had returned was completely different to the scrawny young boy who had left them. In his place stood a taller and really well built man. One who had obviously done a lot of body building and physical training. Harry Potter looked both confident and very strong. Pointing a finger at both Hermione and then Ron he freed them so that he could talk to them.

"Hermione I'm here to ask you to forget this party for now and leave with me, there is something I have to do and it can only be accomplished with your help, will you join me?" Harry asked quietly in a smooth deep voice.

Ron his face turning red and his eyes blazing opened his mouth to yell at Harry. Harry simply looked at the red headed ex friend and said "Tell your mum that 'Amie' is looking forward to meeting her grandma very soon."

The colour drained from Ron's face far faster than it had ever turned red, looking very pasty his knees gave out and he dropped back into his seat his thoughts on the child he had with one of the village girls, a little two year old girl that he had never told his family about.

"So Hermione your answer please," Harry said looking her straight in the eye.

Hermione didn't know if she wanted to grab him and hug him to death and welcome him back or whether to hit him for his uninvited intrusion. She was fighting a mental battle with her self, in her heart she wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and kiss him and show him she loved him, but that would be going against all her past logical carefully made decisions. She stood there not answering and not knowing what to do; she had never let her heart rule her head and didn't want to allow it now.

Harry getting a little impatient at her apparently ignoring him let out a sigh, "Hermione you leave me no choice, as I said I have something to do and it is vitally important it is done as soon as possible. I Harry James Potter call upon you to fulfil your vow. If you break your vow to be with me to the end then I will be forced to do something I really don't want to do, but I will if forced. I will call on your life debt to me," he said sadly.

Hermione could feel her own magic as it tried to make her do what was the right thing. Wanting to know what he had been doing and what was so urgent, her need to know and her magic were over riding her logical side. Thoughts of how she had hurt him and yet he had still turned to her when he needed someone were the final thoughts that made her choose to go with him. She never even thought about his mentioning the life debts they owed each other. Looking at the pale and worried face of her boyfriend she suddenly wondered why they were having an engagement party when Ron had never asked her if she wanted to get married, and who the heck was Amie? Taking a steadying breath she looked straight into Ron's eyes as she said "I'm sorry but Harry needs me, I'll be back as soon as I can." She then stepped to Harry's side and asked "Where are we going?"

Harry said nothing as he slipped his arm around her, then leaving through the supposedly powerful wards around the Burrow as if they were not even there they simply vanished. There was no turning on the spot or any sound, nothing that was usually associated with disapparating, they simply vanished like the elves did.

Hermione felt his warm arm grip her waist tightly and she felt as though she had somehow become a part of him as every thing around them simply faded from view to be replaced almost immediately by a door she recognised. When she felt him let go she looked around and found herself in the DoM facing the door to the place known as 'the locked room' the small golden heart at the top the only mark on it.

Harry took hold of her hand then opened the door pulling her into the room that she had been told no one in living memory had ever entered. The room was dark, almost black except in the very centre there was a shaft of pink light that seemed to just be there, she could see nothing above the light but the ceiling of stone and nothing but the floor below it. The light seemed to be suspended touching neither the floor or the ceiling, it just sat there in the centre of the room hovering.

Harry pulled her closer to the beam of light and she could see that there was someone inside it, someone who seemed trapped inside some sort of bubble and struggling fiercely to get free. As soon as they were close enough she froze, there in front of her trapped inside the shaft of light standing among some gold and silver trinkets of some kind was a raging and furious Lord Voldemort.

Harry turned her to face him by gently taking hold of her shoulders, looking straight into her eyes he said "I will need your help before he finds a way to escape. The power holding him is fading and won't hold him much longer." He then passed a book to her. Looking at the thick and ancient looking tome she saw two page markers were placed in it. Opening the book at the first page marked she began to read.

'Here in the cave of magical source did I gain my power, here in the cave of magical source did I find the destruction of the evil that was pitted against the world. Arthur Pendragon.

Stand ye in the light of love where all magic is created and you too could unlock its power, but know ye that only with the kiss of your one true love can you activate that power. Here in the cave of magical source where stands the root of all magic can be found the answer to your question so long as your heart be pure and good, filled with love for the one who stands with you. Myddryn Emrys.

Hermione read the lines that Harry had pointed out and her logical side took charge again, she wondered why she had been brought here by Harry when he knew she was now with Ron and was only here because he had forced her by using the vow she had made so long ago. She ignored the voice in her head that protested she had chosen to be with him. She was going to ask him why they were there but then decided to read the next marked page.

Flipping to the page she once again started reading. By the time she had finished the page she was looking at Harry, horrified by what she had read. If he wanted to simply share the full power of the room to help him, and the person with him did not share his love he would suffer. To gain the full power he would need to destroy Voldemort and the things that kept him from dying, Harry would need to share his love with the one he brought with him. If he loved the one he was with strongly enough but that person did not return that love to him he would gain the power to destroy the evil at the cost of his own life, and his soul would be forever trapped in the light as payment for that power.

Harry simply shrugged at her "I want you to enter the light with me, I know you hate me but you are the only one I ever loved and still love. Together we can destroy this evil lunatic, what happens to me after doesn't matter, you will be free to leave here and go back to Ron and your party. Oh and do be sure to ask him how his daughter Amie is doing."

Hermione was horrified that Harry truly believed she hated him enough to let him die like that, she knew he had spent the whole of the past year or so thinking it and he had probably spent months trying to work out why she should hate him. Looking into his eyes she could see he was a broken man and he knew finishing Voldemort the way he had chosen, he was practically committing suicide. Suddenly she was really angry with him, confused terrified of revealing her true feelings to him. She wanted to run back to the Burrow, her heart would be safe there. She would be safe with Ron because she had never loved him. She would not have to stand there and watch him suffer. More confusion filled her thoughts and she heard herself as she told him "I can't do this Harry, I can't help you kill your self. I have to get out of here." She turned and ran for the door, as the door opened she heard him speaking quietly.

"Good bye Hermione, I never realised you hated me so much that one kiss was too much to ask. Have a good life with Ron make sure you all leave the country and take Ron's daughter with you because Voldemort is going to be right pissed when he breaks free."

Looking back over her shoulder she saw Harry lean back against the wall then slide down it into a heap sitting on the floor, his head held in his hands. Before she was able to turn fully around or do anything she saw the pink light begin to fade and Voldemort was laughing maniacally as he was able to point his wand at Harry. There was a flash of green light as Voldemort cast the killing curse at Harry. She gaped open mouthed as Harry's body slowly topled over to lie on the cold stone floor, the light of life gone from his emerald coloured eyes.

Hermione stood there frozen to the spot, staring at the lifeless eyes of Harry James Potter as they sightlessly looked back at her. She was sharply awakened from her shock when she felt the cold bony touch as Voldemort stroked a finger down her cheek while laughing at her.

"As a thank you for your help in ridding the world of the last Potter I will let you live with what you have done mudblood. …Well for now anyway." Voldemort said as he looked at the items he had turned into horcruxes and thinking them already destroyed he shrugged said "I must make more," before he simply walked from the room through the door in front of her.

Hermione fell to her knees, unable to believe that Harry was dead because she refused to kiss him and thousands more would soon be joining him. She was crying as she crawled over to the lifeless body of her once best friend and without really knowing what she was doing she bent to kiss him goodbye.

Hermione felt strange as she kissed him and she could feel her magic pass through her lips as though feeding the man she held. As she kissed him she felt him move a little, and then she felt an amazing sensation as his hand lifted and gently stroked her back. Seconds later his other hand was placed behind her head and she could feel his magic returning and mixing with her own. As the kiss became a passionate kiss the pink light in the room returned far brighter and stronger than it had been before. The light filled the entire room and unseen by the two teens behind them the soul pieces trapped in the trinkets were all destroyed. The loud screaming that came from behind them made them pull apart, both of them looked for the source of the awful sound and what they saw shocked and amazed them. Voldemort was being dragged by some unknown force toward the destroyed Horcruxes in the brightest part of the light. Moments later the screaming ended as the magic that held together the evil that was the dark lord was destroyed.

"It's amazing what love can do," Harry whispered in her ear quietly before kissing her again.

A single thought went through her mind 'Bye Ron'.

...


	6. Chapter 10 The Malfoy mistake

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

The Malfoy mistake.

The war was over. The evil wizard Voldemort had died at the hands of Harry Potter after a six hour battle at Hogwarts castle. The damage had been severe and now those that had fought were working to repair the castle to its former condition. They were all spread out through the seven floors of the thousand year old building, each of them working hard, each a member of a two man team.

Harry was working with Luna Lovegood repairing the main fourth floor store room. They had been a team since the work started and they worked well together. Neither of them minded the silence that often accompanied their work, they were both comfortable just working together. Luna was at the far end of the store room working on an inner wall while Harry worked on the outer wall.

Suddenly Harry began to feel that there was danger and fear close by. Before he could even think what might be happening or where the feelings came from he was surrounded by a strong blue aura, seconds later he faded away.

When Harry reappeared he was in an entirely different part of the castle. What he heard filled him with anger and made his blood boil in his veins. Never before had he felt so much like killing someone. Standing in front of him with their backs to him stood the two hated Malfoy males.

"I'm going to kill you mudblood, but before I do my boy wants his way with you. Draco is going to take his pleasure out of your body. How often you service him and how long you stay alive depends how good you perform for him. If you perform poorly you will die a far slower painful death," Lucius Malfoy drawled in his cold evil voice.

"No father, no matter how she performs I shall take great pleasure in degrading her until I tire my self out. I will have her until I can do it no more, then you can have the pleasure of her before killing her. I want my moneys worth out of this bitch." Draco said as he removed his outer robe.

"Did you hear that mudblood, my boy is going to keep taking pleasure out of you until we run out of this stamina potion, this could take quite some time and with the money we paid for you no one will be coming to look for you." Lucius said as he waved his wand and Hermione Granger was standing in front of them her clothes suddenly in a pile on the floor behind her. The naked young woman was crying and yet trying to look brave.

Draco took a step toward her and then stopped as though he had been frozen. Lucius never even had time to look at his offspring before he collapsed to the floor in a heap. Draco screamed silently as he looked down at where he had been hit with a cutting curse. At his feet lay the lower half of his abdomen, his intestines hanging down and resting on top of his own fallen flesh. The last thing he heard before he died was the hated voice of Harry Potter.

"That's the biggest mistake you ever made Malfoy. I knew it was a bloody mistake to let you slimy evil Malfoy rubbish live. So ends the life of any man who attacks the woman I love beyond life itself. They will all end up keeping you, your miserable father and Voldemort company in hells fires for all eternity."

Lucius had died instantly from a small cutting curse just three inches long in the back of his neck. It was a curse that had severed his backbone and right through to his airway killing him on the spot.

Hermione forgetting in her shock and relief that she was completely nude threw her self into Harry's arms and held tightly to him while she repeatedly said "Thank you Harry, thank you, thank you, thank you." She clung to the young man who had just saved her and pressed her self into the safety his body seemed to offer, she had never felt so safe before.

Harry with the adrenalin slowly fading from his body gently pushed her away a little so that he could look into her eyes. He could not resist looking down and taking in the beauty he saw in her nude form before he spoke. "Hermione love, you should put your clothes on. I'll go fetch Ron for you."

Nodding she tried to cover herself as she turned to pick up her clothes. While she did so Harry walked slowly to the door. Just as he reached out his hand to open it Hermione called to him.

"Harry, don't leave me alone… please, I don't want to be alone right now."

Harry unthinking turned to see her holding her dress balled up in her shaking hands, tears were running freely down her cheeks. He nodded to her as he tried to look into her eyes and not stare at her nakedness but he found it so very hard. With a cracked and broken voice he managed to say "Ok, I'll not leave you."

He tried to turn away as she began to dress but she begged him to keep an eye on her just in case. He tried hard to hide what seeing her nude was doing to him, he bowed his head and looked to the floor but he could not resist for long and when he looked up it was to see her pulling up her plain white cotton knickers. He really was trying not to watch but he simply could not resist the pull she had on him. He knew that something between them had changed but he had no idea of exactly what it was. He did know it was more than simply seeing her naked.

When she was finally dressed she once more looked to him to hold her as she held tightly to him desperate for the safety she felt in his arms. After they had stood for some time simply holding each other Hermione asked a question he was not really expecting her to ask and yet knew she would be wondering.

"Harry, what did you mean when you said 'the woman you love', did they attack Ginny, is she ok?" she asked.

Looking into her eyes Harry suddenly looked worried "Er… no they did not attack Ginny, in fact everyone else is ok I think."

"How did you find me, all the damage has been repaired on this part of the school?" she asked as she moved back just far enough to refasten her blouse up properly.

Harry looked into her eyes again and she could see that he was about to admit to something. It was a look in his eyes she had often seen before when she had finally talked him into revealing something he had been hiding from her and Ron. "What is it Harry?"

Harry suddenly looked sad then said "Well… er… I… oh sod it all, Hermione, I love you, there I said it. I Harry James Potter have fallen in love with you, I have been for a long time. As for how I got here, you called me somehow. I felt your fear then I was surrounded by a blue light, next thing I know I'm standing behind the Malfoys listening to them threatening you."

Hermione stopped messing with her buttons and stared at him her mouth moving silently as she silently repeated what he had said. She could tell that the man in front of her, the man who had just saved her was telling the whole truth. Her fear calling him to her would mean they were bonded in someway but that could not be possible they were both supposedly in love with someone else. She then remembered his admission to being in love with her; she wondered could his love alone be strong enough to transport him to her when she was in danger. Somehow that idea just seemed so wrong.

Harry knew before she had finished working it all out that she would want to go to the library and said so quietly, "I'll help you research this shall I?"

Hermione nodded and taking his hand she stepped over the dead body of the senior Malfoy, resisting the desire to kick him till she could kick no more. It was only a matter of minutes later when they both sat down at the table in what the students of Hogwarts called the Granger reserve.

It took them less than an hour for them to find what they were looking for. From Harry's description and what actually happened they discovered that they had a soul bond. It was not a complete bond yet but it was there. If they used the method described in the huge book Hermione was studying they could actually feel the magic that connected them to each other.

"Hermione who knew where you were? Twice Malfoy mentioned they had paid a lot to get to you. There is a traitor somewhere and we need to find the traitor and put an end to him or her after we expose them." Harry almost whispered, even though there was no one else in the library.

"Are you sure Harry, I mean I wasn't really in any condition to listen properly," she asked sounding almost scared of her own thoughts.

"I'm absolutely positive love; both of the bastards mentioned it. They had to have paid someone or they would have gloated about how clever they were to find you alone." Harry replied knowing what she was about to tell him.

"Ron… Ron was the only one who knew… no… no Terry Boot was there, he over heard us talking." She told him still tears in her eyes.

An hour later after his admission Terry Boot lay in the same room as the Malfoys and Harry left the castle with Hermione, their destination a complete secret from the world. A secret that would last for many, many years to come.


	7. Chapter 11 Failure of the OBHFamily

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

The failure of 'the one big happy family' idea.

The war had ended just a month before, it had been a month full of funerals and sadness but at last the three people who were the proclaimed hero's of that war were sitting in the Leaky Cauldron for what seemed a peaceful fan free Lunch. Harry James Potter sat on one side of the table, while his best friend Hermione Jane Granger was sitting next to her supposed boyfriend Ron Weasley. As usual they were arguing again about something Hermione thought really important.

They had started lunch with a discussion about Hermione's parents and Ron was being rather belligerent about it again. Hermione wanted to travel to Australia sometime in the next few days to fetch back her parents and Ron had been arguing against her going. The argument just seemed to be going around in circles when Harry was called over to the bar by Tom the owner of the pub.

When Harry returned to the table after talking to Tom he heard the tail end of the last statement from Ron. "You are not going, you belong to me now and you will do as I say."

Harry waited for Hermione to argue back as she usually did but there was not a word uttered by her, she just sat there with a slightly vacant look in her eyes. That was all it took for Harry to finally put together a puzzle that had had him baffled since they returned to Hogwarts for their sixth year. He had known for years that Ron fancied Hermione but he was convinced that with all the fighting they did, there was no way Hermione could fancy Ron. Harry knew his best friend well enough to know that she was a lot like him where emotions were concerned, she did not actually enjoy all the arguments, how could she when she nearly always ended up being insulted and crying. The big puzzle for Harry was why did she suddenly change, her entire personality seemed to change over the summer, and now he thought he knew why. But before he did anything about that he had a message to pass on to Ron from the staff and customers of the most popular Wizarding pub in Britain, a message he had often thought of saying himself.

"Ron, First off I have a message for you from Tom the bar man, and everyone else in the pub. Either eat like a human being, and not like some demented animal or leave the pub, after you paid for eleven meals. And the cleaning bill for eleven sets of robes. Eleven being the number of people you have made puke up since you started eating, also the owner of the establishment wishes me to relay the message that you are no longer welcome in here after today because your eating habits make people physically ill. Now that's out of the way, I have something to say. I am not making a suggestion and what I do say I will say but once." Harry said icily before taking a pause.

"Now being as I have your attention listen very, very carefully Ron. If you wish to walk out of this room alive you will place what ever phial or pouch you have got the stuff you used on Hermione in, on the table. You will then tell me what you fed to her and how much while I was at the bar. Do that without an argument and I will let you live, if you even try to argue with me I will show you exactly why Voldemort lost against me so many times. If you hold back or refuse to tell me, then you will leave here in separate pieces, all of them small."

Ron looked up from his plate his entire body beginning to shake, he knew without a doubt that he had absolutely no chance against Harry, and as he looked around he realised that everyone in the room having heard what Harry had said was pointing their wand at him. He futilely wished he had never slipped that potion his mother had been supplying him to Hermione, at least not until they were somewhere far quieter. But it was too late he had been caught and there was no way in hell he would get out of the room alive if he tried to run. There was also the fact that Harry would know if he lied even just a little, thanks to his own treacherous ears that turned red every time he lied.

Ron Weasley never was much above a dim candle in the brain department, without help from his friends and advice from his mother he would never have made it through his first term at Hogwarts school, being as he was far to idle to actually think for himself very often. These facts were proved when he admitted to Harry that he had no idea what the potion he had given Hermione was because he had never thought to ask, and as it was one that his mother had supplied him with earlier in the day he knew it was fairly safe.

He admitted Molly had told him it was to replace the Amortentia he had been using on Hermione which she seemed to be getting imune too, and according to Molly once he had given her a dose he would be able to have his way with her and get her pregnant as often as he wanted. He actually swore on his life and magic that the dose he had slipped to her earlier was the only dose of that stuff she had been given and that he had never managed to have sex with her yet because she was always fighting off the Amortentia.

Harry had not even taken his wand from its holster when all the spells hit Ronald Bilius Weasley, they came from all directions as at least half the customers in the pub had cast a spell or charm at Ron's groin. It was obvious that Hermione was the wizarding worlds most popular heroine and he was never going to be able to have a normal life from then on, especially when Harry finally pulled out his wand and cauterised the wound where Ron's wedding tackle had once hung. The badly spell damaged misshapen Ronald Weasley was extremely short in the meat and two vegetables area when he eventually reached St Mungo's. It was possible that one day Harry James Potter might relent and inform the healers what the last spell he hit Ron with was, the one that left him in a far worse state than even Gilderoy Lockhart had been in when he entered St Mungo's.

Hermione was left in the care of minister Kingsley Shacklebolt and the DMLE special healers at St Mungo's when Harry accompanied by eight Aurors went to the Weasley home the Burrow. When they arrived the only occupants of the house were Mr Arthur Weasley, Mrs Molly Weasley and their youngest child, Harry's former girl friend of over a year before Ginny Weasley.

While the Aurors watched Arthur and Ginny in the kitchen, Harry went into the living room with Mrs Weasley. "Right Mrs Weasley I shall come to the reason for this visit in a moment," Harry said before he erected a silencing charm and other charms so that no one in the kitchen would be able to hear the fog horn that Molly became when she could not get her own way. Harry wanted no one to interupt this at all.

Harry was smiling what looked to Molly like a warm smile when he began to speak, she was soon aware that the young hero in front of her was not at all happy, nor was his smile warm. "Mrs Weasley, I want to talk to you about Ginny, and Hermione. Now Hermione has been my best friend for seven years. During those years several times we have both risked our all to save each other at one point or another. I now find myself in one of those positions again and being a generous person I am going to allow you to be in the exact same position with your daughter. I will give you just five minutes to tell me what the potion was and it's antidote, why you gave it to Ron to feed Hermione I dont give a shit. If you do not tell me, or even worse if there is no antidote available then I am going to declare a blood feud on your family, I shall then walk in to your kitchen and dispose of one of your family, you can be absolutely certain that this is not a joke or a bluff, killing a Weasley will be no harder than it was killing a Malfoy.

Most probably Ginny will be my choice, as I am in no doubt you supplied her with another love potion for me last year as well. I don't really care which one of your family is the first to pay, but one the two in the kitchen will die before I give you a chance to save the other one. Because believe me when it comes to Hermione, she always comes first with me, not even my own mother or father could take her place. So speak up now or you can be sure that you will live just long enough to see the last of your family die before you join them."

Molly Weasley had never actually seen the truly protective Harry, who could completely bury his feelings and have a heart of ice. Harry who would do what ever it took, kill who ever got in his way to save his best friend Hermione, the one who she now saw looking at her with ice cold eyes and cold hate in his heart. For the very first time she realised why Voldemort had never dared face Harry Potter alone, she knew why the universally feared dark lord had always needed at least a dozen of his followers with him if Potter was close by. The small pool of liquid that appeared around her feet went unnoticed as Harry started to turn for the kitchen and she had yet to say a single word.

"Harry… please… you can't do this please?" she begged as he raised his wand to remove the charms he had cast.

"Oh but I can Weasley, I can and I will. I am the 'boy who lived to conquer', in this stupid world of wizards that I hate so much. I can do what the hell I want, and at the moment you and your potion are in my way. Killing your family after all I have been through will be quite simple and I will shed no tears over them. Now I think it's time Ginny went to be with your friend Albus don't you." Harry said taking down the first charm.

"Okay, ok you win, there is no antidote. It's an ancient Prewett family potion, the only way it will ever stop working is if one of the subjects dies. Harry you know Ron deserves Hermione… you can have Ginny and we will all be one big happy family, we can even live here all together at the Burrow." Molly said almost happily at the thought.

Harry gave Molly a rather odd look his left eyebrow raising as if in surprise before he spoke "Er… let me see if I have this right. You want me to allow the greatest brain to ever enter Hogwarts to remain in that potion induced condition so your son can be happy. You then want me to have Ginny 'spread legs' for my self, ignoring the fact she has probably more STD's than anyone else on the planet and we all live here happily ever after?"

Molly beamed a huge smile at him "Exactly Harry, I knew you would understand, you are after all an honorary Weasley."

"I don't know if it is worth my time trying to get this thought to find the brain cell you keep between your ears but I am willing to try. When you gave your idiot deserting coward of a son that potion you were signing his death warrant. And die he will, this very day. No one takes my best friend Hermione from me." Harry said coldly as he dropped the last ward.

A quick word with the Aurors and Molly was arrested and taken back to the ministry; she would be spending the rest of her life in the infamous Wizarding prison, he would make sure of that. Harry watched as the officers took the obviously crazy woman away, he then turned to Arthur.

"Mr Weasley, this afternoon your son, on his mothers' orders fed a Prewett family potion to Hermione. A potion that renders her into nothing more than a slightly intelligent family pet, said potion has only one cure… It is a cure that I shall see is performed when I return to London. The cure is the death of one of the subjects; I'm sorry to tell you that your son will pay the price and be the subject that dies. I 'will' have Hermione back, no one will be able to save Ronald Bilius Weasley. I am only telling you so that you know the blame for your youngest son's death will be on his mothers hands. Goodbye sir." with those words Harry vanished.

Two days later a rather happy to be in control of her self again Hermione Granger left St Mungo's hospital with Harry Potter, their destination Australia and the future. A future where the life planned by a single minded foolish old woman who, like Albus Dumbledore, thought her dreams more important than peoples free will was never going to be. They were headed to a future where Hermione would be with the one she actually loved. That day there was an extra grave in the Weasley grave yard, placed there many years ahead of its time because of one womans madness, and her dream of one big happy family.

Harry and Hermione Potter were never destined to return to the shores of the land they were born in. The slightly strange thing was they never once missed the land of their birth, instead they settled in a small village in southern Ireland along with two dentists by the name of Granger where they lived a happy and contented life with their family...

...


	8. Chapter 12 attacked

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

A soul mate attacked

Neville looked up as Harry Potter leapt to his feet yelled "Hermione!" and ran from the carriage. The look on Harry's face was quite enough for both Neville and his new girlfriend Luna to follow Harry in case he needed help.

After only a few steps Harry halted and turned around, he had no idea how he knew but he knew Hermione needed him urgently, he saw flashes of a fist hitting her, and from the picture flashes in his mind he knew she was in the next carriage, the baggage and guards van. It was the next one to the one he had been sitting in on the way back to London.

Shoving past Neville and Luna Harry barged straight at the partitioning door, yelling "Alohomora," as he reached it. The door swung open and he ran through, he knew she was in here although he could not hear her, then from the other end of the car he heard the sounds of someone scuffling. Running as fast as he could he rounded a pile of trunks and for an instant he could not believe what he saw. Hermione was fighting like someone possessed as some one leant over her tearing at her jeans, he could still hear her screaming for help in his head as he pointed a finger at the figure in front of him, "Stupefy," he yelled and watched as the red beam of light hit its target sending Hermione's assailant hurtling into the far wall of the carriage twenty feet away.

Moments later Harry was holding a hysterical yet still silenced Hermione in his arms, pulling her naked chest close to him and wrapping his arms around her to afford her some measure of cover. Neville joined them followed quickly by Luna. Passing Harry, Neville with his wand drawn made his way to where a body lay crumpled in a broken heap.

Neville Longbottom had seen quite a few things to shock him in his young life, mostly while he had been with Harry, but he was not prepared for what he saw when he turned Hermione's attacker over to get a look at him.

Ron Weasley was sporting several deep facial scratches where Hermione had gouged her nails in him as she tried to fight off his assault. Unable to resist it Neville drew back his boot and kicked Ronald Weasley as hard as he could in between his legs, feeling the satisfying crunch and crushing of the part of Weasleys anatomy he had just tried to forcibly use on Hermione.

Luna cancelled the silencing spell as Hermione began to calm in Harry's arms, while he struggled to shrug off his shirt and wrapped Hermione in it. Shushing her all the while and telling her it would be ok now; Harry led Hermione over to Luna before he left her for a minute to see who had attacked her because he simply could still not believe what he had seen. Luna placed a warming charm on Hermione as she shook from the fear caused by her assailant before she helped the distressed girl to sit on one of the many trunks.

Seeing his supposed best mate really had been her attacker filled Harry with a hate he had never felt before, taking several large deep breaths he managed to contain his anger, forcing his magic back under some control, some thing had changed inside Harry as he stared at Weasley, some thing in his very core had altered. Looking back at Hermione being comforted by Luna, Harry was glad she had been wearing jeans and Weasley had started his attack by ripping her clothing from the upper half of her body first. He shuddered when he thought what might have happened had he simply started with her jeans or if she had worn a skirt as she often did on the ride home.

What had started as a head girl/prefect duty of patroling the train had turned into a nightmare for Hermione and none of her rescuers were going to allow Weasley to get away with it.

Several miles outside London Harry sat on a chair with Hermione sitting in his lap, she had refused to be parted with him since Luna had managed to get her properly dressed in his shirt, her own being ripped beyond repair, and she simply refused to take Harry's shirt off to dress in one of her own. She clung to it as though it offered her some unknown form of protection.

Standing in a field in a semi circle behind them stood all the students who had just a few minutes before been excitedly looking forward to reaching Kings Cross and meeting their parents and guardians.

Sick of the injustice and lack of punishments for purebloods in their world the students of Hogwarts were holding a trial of their own; they were going to dish out the punishment this time. There would be no escape for Ronald Bilius Weasley for what he had done; they all knew without doubt that if they left it to the adults Ron would at most get a telling off for attacking a muggleborn. Left to the pureblood laws of the wizarding world Hermione Granger would never see him punished for trying to rape her. As the express sat on the track steadily puffing away while waiting for them, the students debated what to do.

The overwhelming verdict of the students after hearing from Harry, Neville and Luna was guilty. Ronald Weasley was going to suffer the students punishment for his crime, many of the boys wanted to castrate him, most of the male students had sisters or female cousins at Hogwarts or soon to start, they did not want him or anyone like him attacking anyone in their families, nor did they want for the muggle born's to continue suffering the total lack of justice in the world they had found them selves pulled into. That day was the day when the magical world began to change. The change would start at Hogwarts when the students refused to accept the house system that made some students more equal than others, where segregation and bigotry was allowed to run riot without control.

It was a strange and frightening sight that met the eyes of the waiting adults as the Hogwarts express pulled into Kings Cross station at platform 9 ¾. Strapped spread eagle on the front of the locomotive, 'rapist' permanently burnt into his forehead and chest, his male parts shrivelled and withered his body covered in cuts and bruises his arms, hands, and fingers broken and misshaped was a completely naked Ronald Weasley.

Everyone on the platform heard the anguished scream of Molly Weasley as she saw her youngest son tied to the front of the train, his face almost unrecognisable under the bruises and swelling of what had obviously been a truly vicious assault.

Underneath Ron's battered body hung a large sign 'Blood will no longer keep you safe from punishment'.

It was a chilling message for purebloods like Lucius Malfoy, to know that a backlash against them had begun, and it had begun at the premier school of Europe.

It was left to Ginny Weasley as the only student on the train not allowed too vote on her brothers' punishment, to inform the Aurors and her parents what had happened. She also informed her father that it was only the girls who had meted out their justice; the boys had not yet started with theirs.

She said quietly as a final warning to her parents "If you want him to live you should send him away, out of the country, because as soon as Harry is sure Hermione is going to be okay he will be coming for him. Harry loves Hermione very deeply and he will kill Ron. You can be absolutely sure of it. Harry wants his blood and there is not a soul alive on earth who can stop him. Anyone who gets in his way will regret it if they live long enough. Before you decide he is just a normal teenager who would not do that, remember he killed Quirrell, a Troll, a basilisk, death eaters and he has fearlessly faced Voldemort many times and finally killed him for good, all because they were a danger to Hermione."

Harry carried Hermione, who still refused to let go of him, bridal fashion from the train in his arms. Neville and Luna followed with all their trunks, when Mr and Mrs Granger saw the condition of their only child they were both frantic to find out what was wrong. Luna explained everything to them as Harry, Hermione in his arms, followed them out to their car.

Hermione still refused to let go of Harry as he tried to place her in her parents car, it did not seem to matter to her what they all said she simply clung to him. It was nearly two hours later as they neared the Granger home, Harry was sitting in the back seat of their car with Hermione on his lap clinging to him, when Hermione finally spoke, "Oh H- H- Harry, he was my friend, he tried to… he tried to… I feel so dirty, so unclean. I tried to scream for you Harry, I tried so hard to stop him, why Harry, why would he do that to me, why?"

Harry had no real answers to give her "I'm so sorry I wasn't with you love, I heard you screaming in my head, I came as quick as I could…" Harry tapered off, His Hermione was hurting and he had no idea how to cope with it, the only thing he knew for certain right then was Weasley would pay for hurting his Hermione.

The next three days were difficult, embarrassing, frustrating and eye opening for Harry James Potter. Hermione absolutely refused to leave his side and she clung to him with a death grip when anyone tried to separate her from him. She would not even go to the toilet without him, nor would she allow him to go without her.

That first night back at the Granger house Harry sat with the Granger family as they talked about what had happened, all the time they talked Hermione sat in Harry's lap, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck or shoulders. It was several hours after arriving when Harry felt that Hermione seemed to have calmed enough for him to leave and go on his way to Privet Drive, but as soon as he tried to move her from his lap Hermione started to panic, clinging to him as though her very life depended on it. She only calmed a little when he sat back on the sofa with her in his lap once again.

Helen and Richard, Hermione's parents left the two teens in the living room while they went to have a talk in the kitchen. On their return to the living room they asked Harry if he would be willing to stay over for a few days and help take care of the young woman he held in his embrace. Harry really could not refuse, Hermione had helped him so many times he felt he owed his very existence to her and now she needed him so he said he would happily stay with them, besides he knew he was in love with her, had been for a very long time, and no time spent with her was wasted.

It was at bed time when Harry got the first inclination of how difficult things were going to get. The first thing she did when they arrived upstairs was to want to take a desperately needed bath; she needed to bath so she could feel clean again. That was when Harry and her parents found out that she really would go no where without Harry right next to her, holding her hand.

Hermione refused to even get changed for bed without him being right there with her, much to the despair of her mother Hermione made Harry stand right in front of her as she awkwardly removed her clothes while alternating her hold on him from hand to hand. Harry had spent most of the time holding Hermione trying to block out of his mind the memory of how perfect Hermione's breast were when he had seen them on the train, but he was human and he could not simply stand there with his eyes closed, especially when it seemed to scare Hermione if he was not actually watching over her.

To stand there and try not to show his arousal as she removed her knickers with one hand while hanging on to him with the other had to have been just about the hardest thing he had ever done in his life.

As Hermione got ready for bed right in front of him he tried his best not to look at her. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut as he felt her grasping tightly at the front of his shirt, changing hands to get a better grip now and then. It was when he felt her grasp the top of his jeans waist band that he opened his eyes in surprise, what he saw was a totally naked Hermione struggling to pull up a clean pair of knickers. His reaction was instant and blatantly obvious as the large embarrassing bulge appeared even larger in the front of his jeans.

Hermione ignored his arousal as he managed to bend and help her pull her knickers up. When she pulled him into her bed with her and then wrapped herself around him, he felt as though his loins were going to explode. When he thought she was finally asleep he quietly whispered into the dark and begged all the gods that there might be to help him.

Hermione was still awake and she heard as he prayed, she allowed a few tears to escape when she heard him say "I love her so much, and I want her so much please give me the strength to be there for her."

In the late evening Harry sat watching the TV with Hermione in his lap, just as she had been for the previous three days. "Hermione, I've seen so much more of you this week, and I don't just mean physically. Will you marry me?" he asked quietly.

Harry thought she had not heard him but decided he would try again the next morning when they were both refreshed. Half an hour later as Hermione led Harry into her bed room to get ready for bed she turned to him and simply said "Harry, yes… I'd be proud to be your wife."

When Harry awoke the next morning he found him self alone in the bed. Hermione was in the kitchen preparing their breakfasts. Mrs Granger watched as her daughter fought an inner battle with the fear she felt, and was proud of Hermione and yet still confused. She simply could not understand the connection that Harry and Hermione had that would allow her usually extremely modest girl to undress, sleep, bathe and even use the toilet with the young man standing there holding her hand.

Mrs Granger took a deep breath and taking a chance at causing a set back in her daughters recovery from the attack she asked "Hermione, I don't understand, you have always been shy and you even blush furiously if one of the neighbours sees one of your bra's, even if its on the washing line. What is so different with Harry? You have allowed him to see you completely naked; you have held his hand while you tried to take a bath. You've even had him in the loo with you. I need to know why are you not shy around him? what is it between you and Harry?"

Hermione sat at the table with her mother, while they waited for her father and Harry to come down for breakfast, they had a little chat. Hermione started by telling her mother about how close she and Harry had always been. Ever since their first year they had been able to communicate without words, using just a simple glance to speak to each other.

"When Ron started… when he began… when he began… to thump me, I knew I just needed to fight him off just a little while longer, because I could tell Harry was coming for me. I knew that he had heard me even though I was unable to make a sound, that was when I knew for sure that he is my soul mate, when I knew for certain that one day we would be together for all time. And mum, last night Harry asked me to marry him. I said yes, I trusted him because I know I was safe with him, he respects me and loves me, and he will be the only man I shall ever love. he is part of me mum."

Their wedding was held three months later, Neville was Harry's best man, while Luna was Hermione's maid of honour. Two of Hermione's younger cousins were their bridesmaids and apart from the main two guests there was no one else from the magical world invited. Hermione had managed with help from Harry to put what happened with their former friend behind her and she was looking forward to a happy life as a married woman who was actually married to her soul mate.

It was three years later when the first of four young Potter's joined the family. All the enquiries that Harry made about Ron Weasley were met by the same answer, Ronald Bilius Weasley had never fully recovered from his punishment inflicted by the females of Hogwarts, and after three months in St Mungo's he had simply disappeared without trace from the magical world.

Harry always held a small hope he would someday run into the red head and at the same time he was pleased to know that while at St Mungo's Ron had been completely emasculated and he had left there as a eunuch, what was left of his wedding tackle was removed by his healer who happened to be a woman with a daughter at Hogwarts.

Life as Hermione Potter's husband was a happy life and he loved her and their children with all that he was for the rest of his life. Together the Potter's lived a fairly quiet life away from the magical world, only paying rare visits to see their two closest friends the Longbottom's. Neville and Luna were always ready to welcome the Potter family and especially their goddaughter Kathleen who was the eldest of the Potter children.

For many years the Longbottom's spent a pleasant summer holiday with Harry and Hermione at the Potter home near Waterford in Ireland. It was a break that Neville and Luna looked forward to each year, a time when they could spoil both their own three children and the four remarkably intelligent Potter children, and be with their best friends.

Hermione enjoyed her life as a mother; she worked from home and wrote quite a few best selling books in both the Muggle and Magical world. Her first love though was always for her husband. Unlike in her younger years, learning and work on her list of priorities came a long way after Harry and the children.

They had finally all found the peace and happiness that they all deserved and enjoyed it to the full.

...


	9. Chapter 13 You betrayed my trust

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books.

You betrayed my trust

The weather was cold and the rain had been falling for days, or at least that was how it seemed to Harry James Potter as he silently entered the tent that he and his two best friends were using. Angrily Harry rubbed away the single tear that was running slowly down his cheek and then he sniffed, after removing his invisibility cloak he stiffened his back and made his decision.

Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, the two that were accompanying Harry on a quest to destroy a dark wizard entered the tent some minutes after to find Harry putting the final touches to filling his backpack. Everything he owned in the world was packed into the canvas bag that was bigger on the inside than on the outside. Harry looked up at the two as they entered the tent, without a single word he lifted his pack and swung it over one shoulder as if it weighed nothing. Shrugging to settle the pack a little Harry stepped around the table he had used to pack on and walked toward the entrance.

Ron was the first to speak, "Where you going mate?" he asked a puzzled look on his face.

Harry stepped past them both and ignored Ron's question as Hermione caught hold of his arm. "Harry, what's happening where are you going?" she asked quietly.

Harry stopped and looked at her; the pain in his eyes was obvious to her though she had no idea what had caused such a deep look of hurt. "Well it's quite obvious that you don't want to be here, or at least you don't want to be with me, and I can't stay with two traitors and pretend that everything is fine. I'm leaving, that means you two can stop all your whispering behind my back. Whispering I might add that I have listened in on quite a few times, seems you were both to stupid to remember my dad's cloak." He told her in a cold voice.

Hermione's hand snapped up to cover her mouth as a gasp found its way out of her. "You… you heard… oh Harry…"

Harry looked at her with contempt "Don't give me your oh Harry pity shit Granger, I'm giving you the chance to shag that heap of crap with no one to disturb you, but why the hell you should want that git who hates you I will never understand. Oh yeah you should know, the bastard tells the guys in the dorm how he still hates the know it all when he thinks I'm not around. He sits around and laughs at you with them for putting up with all the insults and shit he gives you. That's your choice of partner; hope you are happy when he finally reaches the stage of beating the shit out of you, just like all bigoted bullies do eventually."

Ron had just opened his mouth to yell something when Harry spoke again, "Open your mouth, breath just one bloody word Weasley and you will be waiting for Voldemort when he arrives in hell. I am not some dumb bitch who you can con with your disgusting twelve ways into a witches knickers book so don't push it or I'll friggin bury you right where you stand." He then moved for the door.

Hermione had made a decision before Harry had taken his second step. She pulled her wand so fast that Ron standing right next to her never even saw her move. A spell that was the precursor to the imobilus charm hit Harry in the back. It did not freeze him like the imobilus but it did slow his movement so that it was only just visible to the eye. Nodding in satisfaction that Harry would not be leaving quite as soon as he thought she turned her attention to Ron, her wand was pointing at Ron and as he glanced at it he could see that her hand was as steady as a rock.

"Ron, what Harry said, is it true?" she asked whilst watching his eyes. She knew the truth before he even started to think up his next lie.

"Ronald Weasley you are a liar. If you don't even like me why the hell did you keep getting jealous?" she asked anger echoing in every word.

Ron swallowed hard before answering "Well you are my ticket to passing my exams and getting a decent job, no one has the right to take that from me, least of all that bastard just because he is rich and famous. Besides its well known you muggle born's are easy, always handy for a quick shag or two," Came from his mouth before he could get his brain in gear to stop it.

The slap that hit Ron echoed around the tent like a clap of thunder, when he raised his hand as if to hit her back Hermione hit him with a stunning spell, simply shrugging when he fell to the floor. She turned then and looked at Harry. Harry was a man she actually knew loved her, she had been scared of letting her self love him back though and she had had a set speech to turn him down already made up for the time when he would finally admit it to her. That speech was no longer needed, she admitted to herself that she still loved him and no amount of logic would change that. Though she did feel ashamed for joining in with Ron in talking badly about Harry when they thought he could not hear, she also felt stupid for falling for Ron's rubbish and the book all witches were warned about during their second year at Hogwarts.

Waving her wand at Harry she levitated him out of the tent and with another few quick flicks of her wand she had the entire camp packed away in her amazing little bag. She vanished Ron's clothes and boots out of spite and for a little revenge then caught hold of the still hardly moving Harry and apparated them straight to her bedroom in her parental home. Tears filled her eyes as she looked around at her childhood bedroom and remembered sending her parents away to Australia.

After giving her self a minute or so to pull her self together and to prepare for the explosion of Harry Potters temper. She cast the counter curse to the imobilus charm and watched as the look of shock came across Harry's face. His look when he realised what had happened made her heart feel as though it was sinking. Not saying a word he just looked at her with a cold stare and an unasked question in his cold emotionless eyes.

"Harry I'm so sorry, so very sorry," was all she could say.

"Rather late for that Granger. You betrayed my trust; you are just like those bastards at the prophet. I heard what you were saying, what you were talking about with the dickhead. Well I've had enough, I'm done. This ruddy world can go and screw itself for all I care. There's not a single person in this world who gives a bloody damn about me, so now I'm repaying you all by not giving a toss about any of you." Harry said looking coldly at her.

It scared her by how cold and distant he sounded. The once full of love and caring giving boy seemed to have been replaced with a young man with nothing left, no more to give. One who had been pushed to far and it had been his two supposed best friends who had done the final pushing.

"Harry please talk to me, tell me what to do to make it right," she pleaded knowing he was about to walk away from everything they had been fighting for, every thing they knew.

"You want to know what will make it right?... Nothing will ever make it right… you're not my Hermione who could make everything right with a simple smile or a hug, My Hermione died sometime that summer before sixth year. My Hermione, the girl I loved so much was replaced with some shallow, nasty bitch who I don't really know. You can't turn back time to change things this time. I don't think I even want to know you anymore, so you can't put things right." He answered. "I just miss my Hermione… but she died all those months ago, she is dead and gone for all time."

Hermione sat looking in shock as she began to understand just how much he had depended on her for friendship love and support. As she watched she saw his last bit of his inner strength seemed to leave him and he started to cry silently. Before she could think of what to do Harry angrily wiped at his eyes with his sleeve to remove the escaped tears and took a deep breath. Without saying another world he moved from in front of the bed and walked out of the door, he didn't take time to glance back to see Hermione crying.

Seconds after Harry left the room Hermione shook her self and then ran after him, calling out his name as she raced toward the stairs. He had just reached the bottom of the stairs when he heard her shout. "Don't leave me Harry, please don't leave me. I love you Harry… I'm in love with you Harry James Potter."

Harry stopped and his head turned slowly to look up at her. She could see the shock on his face, his mouth was hanging open and tears began to fill his eyes again. Hermione had never moved as fast before as she raced down the stairs and flung her self at him and wrapped her arms around him.

It took a minute for her to realise he was not returning her hug, then slowly he pushed her away from him saying "You betrayed my trust," and then turning around he walked out of the house without looking back. It was the last time she saw Harry Potter as he stepped out into the rain and then vanished.

Six months later. She was at Hogwarts school helping to fight the purebloods on the day that the head of Voldemort along with several ruined trinkets arrived in the great hall. The sight of their now dead leaders head falling from the box that headmaster Snape had opened, disheartened and dismayed those who supported him while giving a morale boost to those who fought and opposed him. From that moment on the fight was all but over as the shocked purebloods and bigots were almost all wiped out.

There was no name or note to let anyone know who had sent the box that contained such a gruesome object, but everyone knew it was Harry James Potter. Hero of the Wizarding world, the one they all swore they knew was the only one good enough or powerful enough or brave enough to beat the so called greatest dark lord ever. The boy they all swore they had always supported and believed in.

All but one that is, Hermione Jane Granger remembered how everyone had treated the young man who had saved them, he was like dirt beneath their feet. She was never able to forgive her self or Ron Weasley for joining everyone else in betraying Harry, thereby destroying the first and only true friendship she had ever had, the first real love she had ever had. The British magical society lost an amazing member the day Harry Potter could face no more betrayal and no one knew that better than she did. The man she loved was gone for good and he had never said goodbye.

….. The End.

...


	10. Chapter 15 Hedwig ?

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

Angelic message.

Hermione stared at the beautiful angelic being that had just joined her in the sixth year girls' dorm, the angel that mere moments before had been a beautiful snowy white owl. The tall young woman for that is what she had become in a matter of seconds, had gorgeous pure white hair that hung in long tresses down her back, beautiful and large white wings that sprouted from her shoulder blades and reached to the floor. The owl had become a being that was so often displayed in Muggle art and yet far more wonderful than any artist could ever paint. Hermione's mouth dropped open as the angel spoke to her.

"Hello Hermione… don't look so surprised, after all you have known me for more than five and a half years. Though you do or did know me as Hedwig. I decided it was time to reveal myself to you before your chosen action condemns the world of magic to its annihilation. Come take my hand there is something you need to know." Hedwig said holding out her hand for Hermione to take hold of.

Hermione despite her shock took hold of the offered hand and suddenly found her self being lifted into the air and out of the window. A few seconds later Hedwig landed them both silently behind the locker rooms of the quidditch pitch and with a finger to her lips mimed to her passenger to remain silent. They could both hear the rather loud argument of the two boys and a girl who were standing out on the quidditch pitch.

"Harry why on earth would you say that? Hermione is still a bloody nightmare, ye gods man she isn't even pretty." Ron Weasley almost yelled.

"Yeah she's a right bloody bore, she's so bad she is bound to die a spinster because no man alive would marry that boring bitch." Lavender Brown hissed hatefully "I don't see why you insist on sticking up for her all the time."

"Look Weasley, and you Brown. Hermione Granger is the most beautiful person I have ever seen. She's stunningly beautiful, intelligent, kind, helpful and so much more. You Brown, I've known for the past two years you don't like Hermione because you are jealous, and all because she out shone you at the Yule ball. Did it annoy you that much that all the guys there were saying how beautiful she was in that blue gown. Are you that unsure of your own looks. You Weasley, I thought you were her friend, before you started with Brown here you told me you fancied Hermione. Was that a lie?"

"Harry mate, I just thought she might be easy to… you know… easy to get her knickers off. You know what they say about Muggle born witches and sex. How ready and willing they are." Ron replied a little quieter.

"You are a right bastard you know that Weasley. If Hermione Granger fancied me, I'd get down on my knees and thank God for her. Whatever she says or does to me will never stop me being in love with her. So you might as well both sod off back to the castle and leave me be. I need to do some thinking about what Snape and Malfoy are up to. You Weasley… I'll deal with later, of that you can be damn sure." Harry hissed angrily.

Hedwig took hold of Hermione again and flew them back to the girls' dorm. Once Hermione was standing steady on her feet Hedwig drifted away a little. "You needed to know what you are doing Hermione." She said to the still stunned sixth year.

"I thought Ron… I mean… I thought it would be safe being with him…" Hermione said sounding as confused as she felt. Ron the boy she had thought her best friend who actually fancied her. Just wanted her because he thought muggle born's were easy and she would let him have sex with her. That's all he wanted, to get into her knickers, he had no feelings for her at all. He did not fancy her; he got jealous simply because he thought she would shag anyone who asked her. And then there was Harry, the best friend she had started distancing herself from, the boy who actually did love her. But she was still afraid to love him, he would probably never even graduate. She did not know what to do, or who to turn to for help."

"Hermione child it's your love that will help Harry to win against Voldemort, it's your love that will keep him alive, make sure he survives this war. It's you he looks to for his strength and courage, don't rob him of your love because of fear of the unknown." Hedwig whispered as she changed back into a beautiful snowy owl again and flew out of the window and off into the night.

Those last words were enough to make Hermione face the truth, she was already in love with the raven haired young man, and nothing would change that. It was a stupid idea to deny that love to herself any longer. It was a far happier and decidedly warmer Hermione Jane Granger who met Harry Potter when he returned to the common room later that evening. Their first kiss was when she plucked up the courage and kissed him good night.

Hermione Jane Granger went to bed happy in the knowledge that between them Harry and her would survive the coming war. She was no longer afraid of loving him, no longer afraid of losing him in the war they faced. She knew that together their love would over come all obstacles in their way to a happy life together. Her whispered "thanks," to Hedwig were the last words she spoke that day before she fell into a happy dream filled sleep.

...

...


	11. Chapter 16 3 become 2

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

When three became two.

...

A/N The tent scene in italics is taken from JKR's DH, I added it so that several of my regular readers who continually complain Ron was not bad tempered and was not cruel to Hermione, could see how volatile Ron's anger always was, and how bad he treated Hermione, in the scene written by JKR herself the red haired powder keg actually accused Hermione of lying about their whispered conversations. Just another reason why she would have never chosen Ron as a life mate, being called a liar is something a girl like Hermione would never forget. Nor would she forget that Ron in his unreasonable anger pulled his wand out intending to hex their best friend showing just how unstable and dangerous he was.

...

Freezing cold and still wet from retrieving a sword from an icy pond Harry Potter watched as Ronald Weasley raised the sword he had just handed to him and then he stepped back in surprise when a scene like a hologram formed, emitted from the evil red eyes that looked at Ron from the locket they needed to destroy. Ron was staring at the image in front of them, an image of Harry and their best friend the girl Ron fancied, Hermione Granger. They were naked and making love and whispering I love you to each other, then the image Hermione was telling Ron just how useless he had been, how he had never once actually helped them in anything they had ever been through, how he was always the useless prat who held them both back in what ever they did, she then went on to say what a wonderful lover Harry was and he did not make her feel sick when she ate at the table with him, not like you do Weasley with your disgusting manners, oh yes you need to bathe far more often as well because you always stink of stale food from your disgusting eating habits.

As Harry watched the image Hermione berate the boy who had deserted them weeks before and had only just returned a few minutes ago, he found him self agreeing with the image that Ron had indeed always been useless, he never studied, he never help with their research. All he ever did was cause them pain, his constant jealousy making Harry tip toe around him lest he do or say something that set him off, and saying things that always brought Hermione to tears. All he had done through this year as they searched for the evil items of Lord Voldemort was eat all their food and moan about everything.

Harry thought back to what had led to Ron leaving them and the way Hermione had ended in tears once again.

...

"_Yeah, and we're about as near getting rid of it as we are to finding the rest of them—nowhere effing near in other words." _

"_Take off the locket, Ron," Hermione said her voice unusually high. "Please take it off. You wouldn't be talking like this if you hadn't been wearing it all day." _

"_Yeah, he would," said Harry, who did not want excuses made for Ron. "D'you think I haven't noticed the two of you whispering behind my back? D'you think I didn't guess you were thinking this stuff? _

"_Harry, we weren't..." _

"_Don't lie!" Ron hurled at her. "You said it too; you said you were disappointed, you said you'd thought he had a bit more to go on than…" _

"_I didn't say it like that… Harry, I didn't!" she cried. _

_The rain was pounding the tent, tears were pouring down Hermione's face, and the excitement of a few minutes before had vanished as if it had never been, a short-lived firework that had flared and died, leaving everything dark, wet, and cold. The sword of Gryffindor was hidden they knew not where, and there were three teenagers in a tent whose only achievement was not, yet, to be dead. _

"_So why are you still here?" Harry asked Ron. _

"_Search me," said Ron. _

"_Go home then," said Harry. _

"_Yeah, maybe I will!" shouted Ron, and he took several steps toward Harry, who did not back away. "Didn't you hear what they said about my sister? But you don't give a rat's fart, do you, it's only the Forbidden Forest, Harry I've-Faced-Worse Potter doesn't care what happened to her in there…well, I do, all right, giant spiders and mental stuff…" _

"_I was only saying… she was with the others, they were with Hagrid…" _

"_Yeah, I get it, you don't care! And what about the rest of my family, 'the Weasleys don't need another kid injured,' did you hear that?" _

"_Yeah, I…" _

"_Not bothered what it meant, though?" _

"_Ron!" said Hermione, forcing her way between them. "I don't think it means anything new has happened, anything we don't know about; think, Ron, Bill's already scared, plenty of people must have seen that George has lost an ear by now, and you're supposed to be on your deathbed with spattergroit, I'm sure that's all he meant…" _

"_Oh, you're sure, are you? Right then, well, I won't bother myself about them. It's all right for you, isn't it, with your parents safely out of the way…" _

"_My parents are dead!" Harry bellowed. _

"_And mine could be going the same way!" yelled Ron. _

"_Then GO!" roared Harry. "Go back to them, pretend you're got over your spattergroit and Mummy'll be able to feed you up and…" _

_Ron made a sudden movement: Harry reacted, but before either wand was clear of its owner's pocket, Hermione had raised her own. _

"_Protego!" she cried, and an invisible shield expanded between her and Harry on the one side and Ron on the other; all of them were forced backward a few steps by the strength of the spell, and Harry and Ron glared from either side of the transparent barrier as though they were seeing each other clearly for the first time. Harry felt a corrosive hatred toward Ron: Something had broken between them. _

"_Leave the Horcrux," Harry said. _

_Ron wrenched the chain from over his head and cast the locket into a nearby chair. He turned to Hermione. _

"_What are you doing?" _

"_What do you mean?" _

"_Are you staying, or what?" _

"_I . . ." She looked anguished. "Yes… yes, I'm staying. Ron, we said we'd go with Harry, we said we'd help…" _

"_I get it. You choose him." _

"_Ron, no… please… come back, come back!" _

_She was impeded by her own Shield Charm; by the time she had removed it he had already stormed into the night. Harry stood quite still and silent, listening to her sobbing and calling Ron's name amongst the trees. _

_After a few minutes she returned, her sopping hair plastered to her face. _

"_He's g-g-gone! Disapparated!" _

_She threw herself into a chair, curled up, and started to cry. _

He remembered how he felt that something, the bond between them had been totally destroyed during that argument, Ron had pulled his wand to use on him and that was the action not of a friend but an enemy. Once again Hermione had been left in tears thanks to the volatile uncontrolled anger and jealousy of their former friend.

Harry was distracted from his thoughts as he saw a once more rage filled Ron turn the sword on him, he thought of shouting at his former mate to get his attention away from the hate surrounding the locket and the image it displayed, when the thought that Ron being back would mean he would lose the closeness with Hermione that he had become accustomed to over the past weeks. He would lose the girl he had fallen in love with to this red headed waste of time who was liable to hit her during an argument over nothing. He wanted Hermione for himself, he knew the thoughts that suddenly entered his mind were not his own, and that they came from the locket but he did not care, they were the truth and he was not going to go back to being the odd one out as they got together, his Hermione and the deserter.

Harry watched as the red head swung the sword and began to quickly move in his direction. The furious jealous red head believing what he was seeing from the locket attacked, his face contorted in hate and rage. Harry lifted the wand he carried and with a quick flick of his hand he changed the direction the sword was travelling. He watched as the sword swung from Ron's hand and it changed the direction of the arc toward his head instantly, almost reversing its direction and then it pierced the forward rushing red heads chest, straight through the heart.

Ron Weasley looked down in shock as he realised what he had been about to do, he had tried to kill Harry. As he sank to his knees he looked down again at the sword embedded in his chest and then looked up at Harry, his last words were "I'm sorry mate." He then fell to the side his young life at an end.

Harry stood in shock, not really sure if what had happened was a terrible accident and his avoiding the sword had not gone as he had wanted or whether he had actually willed the sword to move the way it had, he quickly realised however he had not had time to think, what he did came from the normal self preservation built within all creatures. He was then pulled from his daze by the evil of the locket that began to taunt him about killing Ron for a mere mudblood woman. Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts, he knew that he had had no real choice in what had happened, if he had not stopped Ron he would have been the one that was dead, and had they both survived Ron would no doubt lose his temper again and again until someone was killed. Ron Weasley had been a dangerous bomb simply waiting for an excuse to explode. Stepping forward he pulled the sword from Ron's chest and wiped the blood from the blade on Ron's jacket before he turned and with one swing he destroyed the locket and the evil that resided in it.

It took Harry just ten minutes to levitate Ron's body around the small pond and into a deeper part of the surrounding woodland. Using his magic he quickly created a hole eight feet deep thee feet wide and seven foot long. Levitating Ron's body one last time he lowered his former best mate into the hole and then with a wave of the wand the hole was filled and all traces of it being a grave were gone.

Walking back to the tent they were using to live in, the sword in one hand and the destroyed locket in the other, after Ron's attack something inside him had changed and felt more in control of things. He knew he would never reveal what had just happened to anyone, especially not Hermione. Ronald Weasley would simply vanish to become just another victim of the war they were fighting. Harry also decided that they needed to change the way they were doing this stupid search, they needed the warmth of somewhere comfortable to live, good food and drink, and above all they needed some real help. Neither he nor Hermione had any real idea of where or what all the horcruxes of Voldemort were or even where to look for them.

Having reached their small camp site Harry was sitting outside the tent for most of the night going over what had happened and if there was anyway it could have been prevented, in both his head and his heart he knew he had been in a kill or be killed situation with the irrationally jealous Ron, if it had not been there at the pond it would have happened somewhere else. He knew after finalising his plans for the next week or so, it all came down to two simple things he needed to do to end the nightmare he lived in. Contact the Goblins to see if they knew of anyone who could help, and let Hermione know he wanted her as more than a friend, that he was in love with her had been for some time. For the second part of his plan he had a very good idea, one he was sure would work or at least he prayed it would.

Inside the tent Hermione woke up and quickly busied her self with making a pot of tea, hoping that the movement and the beverage would warm her up a little in the freezing conditions within their hideaway. After pouring out two mugs of black tea, having no milk or sugar left to add thanks to Ron. She looked at the few meagre supplies that had not been consumed by Ron. She huffed a little at the thought they did not really have much of anything left after Ron had feasted on their supplies at every chance he got. She thought about how they had had provisions enough for three normal people for several more months when they started out, but they had not really taken into account the utter greed of Ron, over the past few weeks she had begun to see so many faults in the red head she had ignored before, and each day he seemed a lot less desirable as a romantic partner.

That thought started a chain of thoughts about how Ron had been ok while he was able to simply grab some food when ever he felt like it, but as soon as he had practically eaten everything they had he had started to whisper and complain behind Harry's back, and he had dragged her into his whispering and complaining every time they thought Harry could not hear them. She found her self praying that Harry had not believed Ron and had believed her when she said she had not said things the way Ron made it sound, a heavy feeling of guilt swept over her making her feel like a truly poor friend, that feeling quickly gave way to thinking of Harry in a new way, she rapidly found her self wondering what kind of lover the raven haired young man would be. She tried to still those thoughts for now as she thought about the complaints she and Ron had shared. It was not to long that something neither had thought of at the time came to her mind.

Both she and Ron had known everything that Harry knew when they started this endeavour and yet they still complained to each other about how their friend was making no progress at all, that they were simply wasting their time with him. It was then she saw the boy she had wanted as a boyfriend would have been the worst choice she could have ever made; there was something wrong with someone who had absolutely no desire to do anything but eat complain and play quidditch added to that he was bone lazy and had no real regard for his supposed friendships. No Ronald Weasley would not have been a good choice for a boy friend.

It was not only Harry who was making no progress, they them selves had made none, in fact they had made things so much harder for Harry by practically forcing him to work everything out while they just waited on their leader and grumbled. Ron had been completely useless, refusing to research with them or to read and improve him self as Harry tried to do.

Suddenly she could see no reason why she ever thought she could be with him, how could someone with her passion for knowledge and enjoyment of hard work possibly be with someone who had absolutely no wish to learn anything, someone to lazy to do anything for him self. To greedy to think of others, as he should have done instead of eating everything they had. This morning by the time she had reached Harry out side the tent she knew she had made the right choice when she had chosen to remain with the best friend who treated her well, and she was happy she had not gone off with the ex-friend who had never treated her well or even respected her.

It no longer bothered her in the same way that it had that Harry might die soon; she chose to take what life they had and make the best of how ever long it might be. She still hoped they eventually lived long and even happy lives but even if they did not, she would do her best to make sure what they did have was the best she could make it. She decided if Harry was to show any interest in her in a more than friendly way then she would grab at the chance of some happiness with him for how ever long it lasted, she finally admitted to her self that she had more than friendly feelings for him, feelings she had repressed since that day of the Yule ball when he had looked at her as if she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Harry took the hot mug offered by Hermione as she sat down next to him in front of the small dead fire, he could feel her shiver with the cold. Snow and frost covered everything in their small campsite and as he looked around he made a final decision on what he had considered before, they needed to get out of this downward spiral as soon as they could.

Placing his arm around her shoulders he pulled her close to share their body heat, "Hermione, as soon as we have finished our breakfast," he almost laughed as he lifted his mug slightly and nodded at it, "we should pack up, we are moving. We are going to go back to being in the Muggle world; from there we need to enlist some help." He lifted the sword of Gryffindor to show her first and then he lifted up the now broken locket. "I found the sword in a small pond back in the woods, who ever placed it there must have been completely crazy. They sent a patronus that led me to the pond, the damn pond was frozen solid, you have no idea how hard it was to get the sword and destroy this bloody thing, especially with the soul piece showing something like a hologram full of lies and pictures to try and save it self." He did not bother to try and clarify his meaning for her any further.

That afternoon the two very tired hungry and cold teens entered a small inn on the out skirts of a small village that was close by their previous camp site. The inn was the first one they found and it looked so inviting. Harry led Hermione into the inn and asked if they could get a room and maybe a bite to eat. After a delicious meal Harry booked them in as Mr and Mrs James, and after a little discrete wand work had convinced the inn keeper they were married, he paid out thirty pounds for each of them for the room and ten minutes later they entered the room.

Too tired to be bothered about the fact that there was just one bed, they took turns having a hot shower instead of a cold or at best a luke warm one for the first time in weeks and changed into their night wear then climbed into bed together. They were both fast asleep within a minute or so of their heads touching the pillows.

Waking up Hermione felt slightly flustered as she felt a body behind her, it took just a few seconds for her brain to fully engage. She knew exactly what is was she could feel while pressed tightly up against her best friend. Even though she had read about the state young men often woke up in she could not help feeling pleased that what she felt could be caused by her presence. Then there was the extremely comfortable feeling of a warm hand gently massaging her breast. Without even realising what she was doing she reached down and using her hand she checked to see if she was correct in what she though. Her need to know everything she could had taken control and the only thing on her mind for a few moments was 'I wonder if it is' as her hand subconsciously reached out for the answer.

Harry woke and almost instantly knew where he was, he was about to pull back to remove his usual morning arousal away from Hermione before she woke and felt it, he could not even begin to imagine what she might think of him if she knew. One thing he did know was that it was an amazingly comfortable feeling to wake up with his arms firmly wrapped around her, and having one ofher breast pressing into his hand felt exquisite. Before he could pull away however he felt Hermione's small hand as it snaked between them. There was no way he could have resisted the reaction of his body and the small groan that escaped him "God Hermione if only you knew."

"If I only knew what?" Came Hermione's voice quietly, surprising him that she was awake.

Harry answered with his hormones in full rush and before said hormones allowed him to engage his mind he said "How many times I have wanted you to do that, or how long I have loved you, and wanted to make love to you." Were the words that flooded out of his mouth, the latter few words said in a whisper she only just managed to hear.

Hermione could not believe what she had heard and could not resist as she asked "Is this because of me?"

She heard as Harry sucked in a deep breath, "Please Hermione, don't say things like that, it makes me so want to make love to you."

Hermione wore a huge smile "Harry if you really want me like that, and if you do love me then don't you think we should get up and brush our teeth first. I mean I'm quite sure you would prefer to kiss me if my breath was fresh."

She chuckled when Harry practically leapt from the bed before she had let go of him. She could hear him talking to him self as he quickly made his way to the bathroom; he was quietly praying that she was not just joking because of how they had woken up together, he really wanted her and to show her how much he loved her.

She felt like chuckling again as she was about to tell him she was indeed joking, but some thing in his voice stopped her, giving her an odd feeling of want and need. Did she really want to have sex with her best friend as much as she felt she did; she had never done it before and thoughts of how it might be painful or how it might make things awkward after flitted through her mind. She had wondered what it would be like with Ron once or twice while at Hogwarts, but now that Harry had revealed his feelings for her, and she had faced her own feelings the day before she asked herself what it would be like with Harry. And then the desire for him actually over rode all her reservations so she remained silent as she waited her turn in the bathroom.

By the time Harry had finished in the bathroom Hermione was getting rather impatient as she thought about sex with him, not as a best friend but as someone who loved her. By the time he had returned to the bed she was as aroused as he had been and obviously still was. The very clear desires rushing through her made her rush through her shower and even her tooth cleaning regime, surprising herself she admitted she was eager to find out what sex was like.

Returning to the bed where Harry was sitting waiting for her, she sat on the edge of the bed, suddenly she was getting really nervous. "This is really strange, don't you think?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"In a way yes, but while you were in the bathroom I was doing some thinking. We have been a couple for almost seven years; we just haven't got around to the snogging and all that. I think we would have got to it sooner or later, but I mean if you have changed your mind we could just do a little kissing for now see how we feel, see how it works out." Was his quiet reply.

While Hermione was thinking about it Harry gently pulled her back onto the bed and seconds later they were kissing passionately, not many minutes had passed when she realised she did indeed want him, she wanted him completely. Ten minutes after finding a very comfortable position on the bed both of them were completely nude and their hands were wandering all over each other. Together they were learning each others likes and dislikes, what it was that pushed their body that bit closer to the final act.

As they lay on the bed cooling off she realised making love had given her far more pleasure than she had expected and together they slowly began to drift off to sleep, she whispered to him as her eyes drooped closed "Harry coming here was the best thing you ever thought of, and Harry I think I love you." She whispered as she leaned forward and kissed his ear.

Paying a visit to Gringotts was not easy, death eaters were roaming the Alley as if they owned it, and in a way they did, their master having taken over the Wizarding government. After their first attempt to enter Diagon Alley had failed before they even got to enter the Leaky Cauldron, there being three death eaters actually standing out on the muggle side of the famous pub. The two teens returned to their lodgings and began to plan their next moves.

They now knew that the death eaters were in control of magical Britain, something they had not expected to happen quite so soon. Hermione was the one to work out that Voldemort had taken advantage of the chaos that Dumbledore's death would have caused, and had probably just walked into the ministry unopposed. Life for Muggle born witches and wizards was now obviously far from safe.

It was early morning when an ancient looking old man helped his wife through the Leaky cauldron and out into Diagon Alley, both of them seemed bent over with age and as they made their way to the bank several of Voldemort's servants stepped out of their way to allow them clear passage.

Harry, huddled up to Hermione in his disguise, was fighting his body's instincts all the way along the Alley as they made their slow progress toward the bank. He felt uncomfortable inside the rubber mask of a wrinkled old man that he wore and his back was aching a little from remaining hunched over. Gringotts had never seemed so far from the Cauldron before and he almost desperately wanted to break out in to a run to get there quicker.

Getting help from the Goblins was far easier than the two teens had expected, but the Goblin they spoke to informed them of the damage the new government was causing their business. Few if any customers paid a visit to the bank because they feared for their lives if they were to enter the Alley. Even the Goblins were relying on Harry destroying Voldemort

Even while they were still in talks with the head Goblin the vaults of all the known death eaters were being searched for any horcrux that might be hidden there. The Goblins also had a rather simple ritual of exorcism that destroyed such evil and gave the two young ones the address to a safe house where they could take any horcrux they found to have it destroyed.

It took them a further four months after meeting with the Goblins to find and destroy all the soul pieces of the maniac who called him self Voldemort. With the last of those soul pieces destroyed both Harry and Hermione were supplied with two hand guns each by their last Goblin contact. They spent a week learning how to load and unload the magazines, mainly from watching a variety of programs on the Muggle TV.

By the time they finally faced Voldemort and his inner circle Hermione was rather large around the waist due to them having forgotten to use any contraception on that first day they made love.

The last confrontation with Voldemort could have been called a total massacre as the two teens with their two weapons each and a belt full of spare ammunition clips decimated Voldemort's death eaters. Both Harry and Hermione were spurred on by the knowledge of what had been happening to the muggle born witches at the hands of the death eaters.

Voldemort him self was killed as the two teens emptied their clips into him from different directions and at a distance to far for the maniac's curses reach them. The last of their bullets were used up inside the office run by Delores Umbridge, the office that was responsible for the disposal of so many witches and wizards.

Delores Umbridge was the last in that office to die as Hermione used her last round of ammunition on the evil woman. The bullet took away the back of the undersecretaries head and spread it over her office wall.

Before leaving the Wizarding world to marry and raise their child, Harry James Potter left the new minister with a warning. "Do away with the pureblood supremacy and bigotry and the corruption in your government or we will come back and put an end to this world for good."

The backward Wizarding world had no idea how the two teens had killed seventy three death eaters and Voldemort in the space of an hour, and that was enough to instil in them a fear that if things did not change then the golden duo would return and carry out their threat. The changes were quick and complete, by the end of the year all magical beings had a say in the government and the underage restrictions on muggle born practising magic were lifted. The ministry even went so far as to drop the age of entry into the magical world to five years old. The twenty first century had come calling on the Wizarding world and it came to stay.

Hermione Jane Potter gave birth to Rose Potter in St David's magical hospital Conwy North Wales with her husband of six weeks holding her hand. After a visit to Australia to retrieve Hermione's parents it was a very happy family that settled down to live a rather quiet yet happy life in the village of Harry's birth, Godrics Hollow.

Harry and Hermione had two more children after moving in to the small Welsh village. They were joined by the elder Grangers in the village and Hermione who had grown up an only child welcomed a little baby sister late in the autumn of their second year as residents of Godrics Hollow.

Harry lived a contented man with the thing he had always wanted, a family of his own and the woman he had loved for as long as he could remember knowing what love was.

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	12. Chapter 18 Love With Luna's help

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

With Luna's help

Voldemort was dead and lay in the great hall with all the other dead. Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger entered an empty undamaged class room and looked around. Ron pointed at the desk and hoisted Hermione up to sit her on it. He was just leaning in for their first private kiss when both he and Hermione were hit with petrification charms.

In their rush they had not even closed the door correctly, and never even considered locking it. Luna Lovegood followed them into the room and without warning she petrified them both. With a look of disgust on her face she levitated Ron across the room and propped him up against the wall. Next she levitated two chairs together and with a swish of her wand she transfigured them into a comfortable sofa. She then levitated Hermione to the sofa and placed her on it.

Sitting beside Hermione Luna pointed her wand at the older witch and with a tiny flick of her wand she freed Hermione from the shoulders up. "Hermione Granger we need to talk, I need to know why you are so willing to destroy Harry when all he has ever done is to love you, which is quite the opposite to that piece of pureblood bigotry over there?" she asked in her quiet dreamy voice while pointing at Ron.

Hermione looked at her odd friend trying to work out what the girl was talking about. "Luna did you hit your head? Are you ok? Why are you doing this?"

"Hermione dear I fear it is you that may not be okay in the head. I mean! Weasley? Why on earth would you choose him above Harry? All Weasley has ever done is insult you and your parents with his utter disrespect. Mind you I don't suppose it is all your fault, after all being weak minded is a family trait isn't it? It must run in your family. And you being so cruel to Harry just to please a dead old fool headmaster, and a woman you owe nothing too, except her purposely keeping you away from your parents to keep her little baby boy happy. To ignore all the disrespect, the total lack of loyalty and the blatant displays of hate, the times Weasley almost got you killed all the crying you have done because of the Weasel to accept all that without thinking about it is a sure sign of a weak mind. Weasley was even to blame for you being tortured at the Malfoy manor, if he had not returned Harry would have chosen to hide in the muggle world instead of that freezing tent. If you were not so weak willed you would have let your heart direct your choice of wizard. In stead you set the stage for the next dark lord. But why with this bigoted filth." Luna questioned pointing at the petrified Ron yet again.

"Luna you are not making any sense, Ron is Harry's best friend just like I am, so let us go and I won't say anything about all this. Hermione promised.

"Hermione why do you think it was that Harry never asked you to the Yule ball? After all you are the most important person in his world since your first year, and you know it. You know it by the way you two can converse without words, how with a single glance you can have an entire conversation with him, and unlike idiot here Harry has always known you are a girl. Use your brain girl; put that logic of yours to work. How many girls did Harry know well enough to ask to a formal ball? Logic says he would ask the only girl he was comfortable with, the only one he knew who was not interested in the-boy-who-lived, his only logical choice… was YOU." Luna ended with a shout.

"Luna he… I… well I don't know, I expected him to ask me but he…" Hermione trailed off as she began to do as the girl suggested and started to use her powerful mind and almost instantly she knew Luna was right, logically Harry should have asked her to the ball almost as soon as it was announced. "Why didn't he ask me then, I would have said yes, Harry must know that."

Luna smiled "Started to think now eh? Harry did not ask you because of all the lies this creep fed him. Ron told Harry you were a couple when Harry arrived at the Burrow for the summer before fourth year. As far as Harry knows you have been a couple for years. He never said anything even though it was ripping him apart inside. Did you know that red headed cretin has made the past few months some of the hardest Harry ever had, every chance he had since he rejoined you in the tent he has accused Harry of trying to break you up, he made Harry feel guilty because you chose to remain with him and not abandon him. Oh I forgot you seem to have completely forgotten that the git deserted you as soon as things got a little hard going and after eating all the food until there was nothing left he ran off to be fed by his mummy, that should tell you something about how much he thinks of you, he considered his comfort and a full stomach more important than you, Harry, or destroying Voldemort."

Hermione stared at her unusual friend and marvelled at how much she seemed to know about what they had been doing, what had happened in the tent. How could Luna know things that no one but the three of them should know? "Luna how… I mean… you were a prisoner so how…" she trailed off as tears began to form in the younger girl's eyes.

"Life with Ron, for you will be one long and very miserable heart breaking time Hermione, any children of his are still going to be suffering from some of the effects of inbreeding, they will be just as dense just as idle and bad mannered. You already know how jealous he gets, how angry he can get for no reason. What do you think his reaction would be if you were together and you got a better job than him, got better pay or quicker promotions. Ask your self can he really love you if he always treats you so bad.

Is he worth losing Harry and all your other friends over, which would be better, a life of constant arguing and misery or a life filled with happiness and love? Ron will never love anyone but him self, even now he is wondering how he can still prevent you from choosing Harry, not because he loves you, but because he is jealous of his supposed best mate and wants the one thing Harry desires most in the world, Harry Potter wants to be with the one he loves, he wants to be with you. It is all he will ever want."

Luna went glassy eyed for a minute or so after she ended her rant, she then snapped her head up and with a quick flick of her wand toward Hermione she set the older witch free. "Harry is packing his few belongings; you have ten minutes at most before you lose him for ever. You need to make a choice and do it fast or he will be gone and of the two futures I see possible, you will be left with the worst one."

It was at that point that Hermione finally realised that Luna was a true seer, that was how she always seemed to be in the right place at the right time with the right advice to give. That was why Voldemort had kept her as a relatively unharmed prisoner, he wanted to use her abilities for his own benefit.

Rushing to the door Hermione turned slightly and called back to Luna "Thanks Luna, see you later," with that she rushed for the Gryffindor tower and the young man who loved her for who she was.

After watching Hermione rush out of the door Luna turned her attention to Ron. "So Weasley, what you just heard me tell Hermione is just a tiny taste of what you get for trying to hurt the man I love, it hurts knowing Harry will be happy with Hermione doesn't it. If you had not been so stupid you and I could have had a wonderful future together.

For a long time I saw the future with us together, I would have been a good wife to you, it's a pity you were never able to get beyond your stupidity and bigotry. Still once Harry and Hermione get married maybe you will begin to see what being to lazy for your own good actually means. What it leads to when you choose the wrong woman because of your jealousy. We would have had four wonderful children you and I, shame really because I really did fancy you until I saw you were unable to see beyond the loony image."

Luna was guest of honour at Harry and Hermione's wedding and was asked to be the godmother of their first child. She remained a very close friend of Hermione though she never stopped loving Harry. She ended up getting married to Ron's older brother Charley and had two children, both of them boys who took the place of the Weasley twins as the most famous pranksters of the Wizarding world.

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	13. Chapter 19 Goodbye Snape

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot

Goodbye Snape.

Harry James Potter had only been in his first ever potions class for half an hour when he decided enough was enough. There was no way he was going to sit through two hours of being insulted by some dunderhead who had the nerve to call him self a professor. Standing up he began to pack away his equipment and then headed for the door.

"Potter, where the hell do you think you are going?" Yelled the potions teacher, a man called Severus Snape.

"Well it is obviously a waste of time being in this supposed class until they get someone who can actually teach. When that happens then I will be glad to return and willingly learn what is being taught. For now I am going back up to the Gryffindor common room," Harry answered opening the class room door and stepping out.

As Harry glanced back he saw two other students were following him. A girl named Hermione Jane Granger and a boy by the name of Neville Franklin Longbottom. All three of them ignored Professor Snape's order to return to the class and headed off along the corridor. By the time they had reached the stairs leading up out of the dungeons all but a few of the class had followed them, Harry noted that they were all Gryffindors. The only Gryffindor who had not followed was Ronald Bilius Weasley, the boy who had latched onto Harry since their train ride to the school and declared himself Harry's best mate, a fact that Harry had denied to several of his dorm mates.

Sitting around the Gryffindor common room twenty minutes later all of them were studying their potion text books Hermione spoke up "Harry, I have a book here on basic potion brewing, and according to this our first month of potions should be spent learning the correct way to set up our equipment and how to correctly prepare the ingredients. It says that if certain ingredients are mixed by preparing them on the same desk without thoroughly cleaning the desk after each use, or using the same blade to cut them then some disastrous results come from using the potions. Apparently some ingredients, if contaminated before being placed in the potion can turn the whole potion into a lethal poison."

"You are quite correct," came the stern voice of their head of house professor McGonagall. "Now would one of you like to explain to me why I have a rather angry professor Snape in my office claiming you all walked out of his class?"

Every eye in the room turned to look at Harry. He hesitated for a moment before he stood. "I'm sorry professor but I decided that if I wish to be insulted for two hours by some one of questionable intelligence then I could have stayed at my former prison and listened to the Dursleys insults. I came here to learn, and that little petty man is incapable of teaching." He said with conviction. His words were agreed with by all his class mates nodding their heads.

Minerva McGonagall had listened to the rumours about Snape's classes for some years but this was the first time that the students had walked out of the class on mass. She determined it was time to discover the truth about the potion lessons. "Mr Potter you will accompany me to the headmasters office," she said sternly.

As Harry followed her Hermione stood up and joined him, by the time they were out side the common room the entire class were also following. Surprised McGonagall spoke to them, telling them they could not all accompany her to the headmaster so the students elected Hermione to go and to represent them at the meeting.

Albus Dumbledore the headmaster listened to Harry and Hermione and then simply dismissed their complaints as normal children's dislike for authorities and said a quiet "You may return to class now." As he went back to reading a parchment on his desk.

As the headmaster simply dismissed them and basically called them liars, Harry stood up and spoke to professor McGonagall "Could you tell me what time the train leaves for London. I will return to my prison on Privet Drive as soon as I have finished packing my stuff."

McGonagall shocked by the thought of the boy in front of her once again referring to the place he lived as a prison, and threatening to return there rather than give up this foolish idea slammed her hand down on the top of the parchment the headmaster was reading. "Albus I wish to use the pensieve to view the events in the potions class."

Dumbledore looked up in complete surprise at his deputy head, 'surely she can not believe these children, Severus is the best potion master this school has ever had.' He thought as he was about to refuse her request. He then looked at her properly and he knew what she wanted was not a request, as the deputy head she had every right to investigate any complaints about the professors. With a huge sigh and a look of sadness that seemed to convey his belief that Snape was an excellent teacher he walked over to a large cabinet and returned to the desk with a large stone bowl.

Having extracted copies of the memories of the potion lesson from Hermione, McGonagall and Dumbledore dipped their heads into the bowl. They reappeared several minutes later. Minerva McGonagall was absolutely fuming and Dumbledore was almost white with shock at what he had seen. It was more than obvious that Severus Snape should never be in the same building as students let alone teaching them. His hate for Harry was more than obvious, and his bigotry toward Hermione was disgusting.

"Albus I want that… that thing out of this school before the day is out, I don't care what he did for you against he-who-must-not-be-named. If he is still on the castle grounds by dinner this evening I will call an emergency meeting of the board, and I will ask for a review of your ability to act in the best interest of Hogwarts and her students." McGonagall seethed, the anger in her eyes looking like fire.

That night as the students began to settle down in the great hall for their dinner headmaster Dumbledore stood up and announced that professor Snape had been called away on family business and would no longer be teaching their potions classes. The huge roar of approval and happiness that swept through the hall was more proof for McGonagall that she had been right in her demand for the man to be removed.

As the cheering and joyful shouts rang out from the students around the hall, in his happiness Harry James Potter pulled Hermione into a hug and then kissed her soundly on her lips. A partnership that would last their entire lives began in front of the whole school that night.

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	14. Chapter 20 The end of Harry Potter

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

The end of Harry Potter

No one, not a single soul had believed him when he said he had not put his name in the Goblet. After being told by his headmaster and a ministry official that he had to compete in the Tri-Wizard tournament or he would loose his magic, maybe even his life due to a magical contract, he was shunned by all his fellow Gryffindors except his best mate Ronald Weasley.

It did not take many seconds after entering their common room before Ron turned on him and with a look of hate confronted him, called him a liar just out to gain even more fame and glory. As Harry stood there with Ron ranting at him he turned to look at his other best friend for some support, as soon as he caught her eye Hermione Granger turned away from him and stared at the book she was holding. He had left them half way through Ron's rant and went up to his bed.

That had been four weeks ago and now he stood in the champions tent holding back the smile he so wanted to break into. They were all in for a surprise, the whole school and all the spectators. As the three other contenders left the tent one by one to face a dragon Harry was left alone, it was time for him to put his plan into operation. Pulling out his invisibility cloak he wrapped it around himself and as soon as he was sure he was completely invisible he opened the flap at the rear of the tent and quickly went to retrieve the animal he had tethered just a few feet away in a small space in the rocks that could not be seen unless a person was standing right in front of it. Dragging the animal into the tent Harry took a deep breath and cast his spell.

Out in the arena the crowd were jeering and booing, yelling 'cheat' as Harry Potter walked out to face his dragon. The huge Hungarian horntail sniffed at the air when it saw the small wizard enter the arena, it began to salivate as it could smell its favourite food. The dragon did not care if her food looked like a wizard, it leapt forward and with one swift move it grabbed Harry Potter in its huge mouth. The sounds of the screaming replaced by that of bones breaking, and being crunched on plus the sight of the blood flowing as the dragon ripped the boy apart and enjoyed its food made people in the audience retch at seeing the young man eaten.

Hermione looked on horrified as the remains of her best friend was swallowed by the Horntail the picture embedding itself in her mind for all time. Memories of how she had shunned him for the past month rushed past her minds eye. A feeling of overwhelming guilt swept over her, the boy who had risked his life to save her in both their first and third year was dead. She knew that Harry would have never put his name in the Goblet, but after that first night when she had had some doubts and turned away from him she had not had the courage to face him. Thoughts that maybe if she had helped him he would still be alive began to flood her mind.

Albus Dumbledore the headmaster who had forced the fourteen year old to take part in the tournament looked on horrified at what had happened. He had pushed the boy into dangerous situations each year since he had started at the school and expected him to once again some how get through this stupidity realised that he had killed once again. He was responsible for the death of his favourite student and along with him the entire future of the Wizarding world.

No one moved as the huge crowd watched as if they were one being, as the dragon licked its lips and looked around for more food. For ten long minutes they just sat and stared into the arena.

Twenty two minutes after the dragon killed Potter several trinkets in the headmasters office ceased doing what they had been doing every minute of every day since Harry Potters parents died.

James Harris stepped out of Gringotts Bank and activated a Goblin supplied portkey and in a swirl of colour he vanished into the air. Harry Potter was not as stupid as everyone thought he was, he had worked out his plan just three days after the names had been pulled from the Goblet.

Flashback…

Harry sat on a large stone at the side of the black lake, he was out of sight of the castle and could not be seen from two other sides. With his life at stake Harry had set his always hidden intelligence to work and it was not long before he realised that no matter what Dumbledore said or believed neither he nor his magic would be affected if he did not take part in the stupid game. The magical contract if there even was one was for a Tri-Wizard tournament, to Harry it was quite obvious that if there were four of them no matter what name they gave the game it was no longer a tri-wizard game, it was not the tournament the rules were made for, it was not the tournament the contract was made for.

The idea that this stupid game could be a way for him to get away from the magical world for good and to live a more normal life filled his mind for two days. Sitting on his large stone for the fifth day in a row Harry was reading a book on advanced transfiguration that he had bought to give to Hermione as a Christmas present, one she would not be receiving now. He almost fell from his seat as he read a way to be free.

Training alone day after day for almost three weeks he had finally come to grips with the charm he had worked so hard to master, he had also discovered what the task was and he was pleased it would help in his plan. The evening before the task Harry slipped out of Hogwarts down one of the secret passages and after a quick walk to Hogsmeade he caught the knight bus to Diagon Alley. For a few thousand Galleons Harry had left Gringotts bank with his will completed and Goblin oaths to never reveal who his beneficiaries were. He returned to Hogsmeade with his short absence unnoticed by anyone. A short walk in the opposite direction to the school and he procured himself a rather large fat sheep. The charm to transfigure the sheep into his own likeness had almost drained his full magical power and he felt rather tired and weak as he activated a Goblin portkey to Gringotts, by the time he was finished with his business for the visit Harry James Potter no longer existed, he had legally had his name changed which voided any association both magical and muggle he had with his past name. Harry Potter no longer officially lived.

End Flashback.

With his money pouch filled and a slight tiredness obvious in his gait he made his way to the muggle part of London and booked himself into the first hotel he came across for the night, he would take a long rest until the will of Harry Potter was read.

One week later the Goblins of Gringotts read the will of Harry James Potter to the only beneficiary, James Harris. He had been the only person they had notified about the will reading and he happily signed the required documents that passed all the Potter money and possessions to him.

Two hours later James Harris boarded a plane and left Britain for his new future in a new land where there would be no stupid headmasters controlling his life. After a long flight James Harris stepped from the plane and took a deep breath, the first one of his new and hopefully happy life.

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	15. Chapter 21 Rejected love

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

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This story is not a happy Harry Hermione tale. It started as a tale of what can happen when love is denied fulfilment. It contains a rather angry Luna who is not exactly the gentle all forgiving girl she is usually depicted as. So its an angry little tale, I know that so it is not worth telling me that in a reveiw.

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Rejected Love

He had told her he was in love with her, how much he wanted to spend his life with her. And for a moment she kissed him with a sweet chaste kiss then whispered that she loved him too. Filled with a happiness he had never known before he then asked her out on a date as his girlfriend and she had rejected him, telling him she could not bring herself to hurt Ron or the Weasley family, not when they had just lost a brother/son to the war. She turned away and walked out of the common room leaving him standing alone and feeling totally lost and devastated.

That is how he grew angry and where he remained for the rest of the night his anger burning into hate for the world of magic and all those in it, not a single person came to see him, to find out how he was. Not his supposed friends, not his ex-girlfriend, not even the woman who had said he was like a son to her. The feeling of rejection from the entire wizarding world was fuelling his hatred for them all. He thought about all he had done, how he had suffered a life of pain and hurt for them, and won their war for them, brought them freedom from tyranny and they had simply discarded him, left him alone and seemingly forgotten.

As the sun rose slowly over the horizon he packed his few remaining belongings into his back pack and with a slight pop he vanished, leaving behind a world he now hated.

As soon as Luna Lovegood had finished helping heal the injured in the hospital wing, her mind turned to the man she was in love with, she wanted to thank him for rescuing her, to see him before he left with the woman she knew he loved. She was on her way to see him when she had the vision of him leaving and where he would go, her journey changed direction and she headed for the great hall.

The sound of the hard face slap echoed around the great hall, the shock of it staggering not only the recipient of the slap but also all those in the hall, the words they next heard were like another slap to all of them.

"You cruel, cruel evil bitch, to tell him that you love him and then walk away leaving him alone. The fucking Weasleys have only lost one of their family. He has lost everyone he ever loved, you are worse than Voldemort, you took away his very last hope. I curse you Granger, for what you did to him may you never find happiness, may your children be as stupid as the cowardly filth that deserted him and you chose over him, may your life be filled with regret and pain, I curse you Hermione Jane Granger until the day he forgives you, I curse you that you never again know happiness, so mote it be," Luna Lovegood yelled in anger, tears streaming down her face.

What had happened the night before flashed through Hermione's mind, and she looked at her friend with tears in her eyes, "Luna I…"

Luna cut her off, "Harry went out there and did the impossible once again, he went out there and he died for you trusting his love for you would beat the killing curse, and you rejected him. The rest of you... not a single one of you could spare a minute to look in on him to see how he was. Not a bloody one of you went to offer your thanks or your help. And you, you cow, when he tells you he loves you, you tell him you feel the same then just walk away. I don't blame him for leaving this pathetic world of magic; I'd hate you all just like he does now if you treated me like that.

You Granger, you disgust me, choosing a family idiot that has not earned the right to come before Harry Potter. He was the one you owe your life and loyalty too, not the family of a bigoted bastard who has never once supported you in anything you love to do. When did that jealous hate filled moron ever make you happy, when did he ever show you or your family any respect… never that's when."

Her rant at Hermione over Luna with her sobs echoing in the great hall walked away from those she had thought her friends. She loved Harry with all she was and it hurt to know he was so badly hurt by those he had given his love too. It hurt to know he would never return her love for him though he would never reject her as he had been rejected and she left the great hall to find some place where she could be alone in her sadness.

Harry James Potter appeared in a grave yard in a small village called Godrics Hollow, standing before the grave stones of his parents he told them he had completed the task he had been chosen to do and how the world of wizards had responded to what he had done. "I'm leaving this bigoted and hate filled world, I will never again set foot in their world and if I live long enough to love again, to see any children I might have show they are magical, I will teach them myself, tell them of how bigoted magical people are, I will urge them to stay away from the magical world and never lift a finger to help it survive."

It was two years later and Hermione Jane Granger was standing at the small alter, Ron Weasley her groom stood holding her hand. When the congregation were asked the question that ended 'speak now or forever hold your peace' a young woman stood up at the back of the chapel and spoke "Remember my curse Granger, you marry that disgusting slob and it will double in strength, so mote it be."

Luna Lovegood held up her wand and as she spoke a pure white light filled the entire chapel before it all gathered around her and then sped toward Hermione and sinking into her chest.

During the commotion that went on as people removed Luna from the chapel, Hermione thought about what she had done and what she was doing. She thought about how she had seen the look in his eyes as she broke his heart by rejecting his love. It suddenly seemed so clear, so vividly clear. The totally stupid idiotic reason she had rejected him, the decision she had made before their sixth year at Hogwarts. The decision to bury her love for him because of the death threat hanging over him from the prophecy. She felt so stupid to have allowed that decision to carry forth after the prophecy was fulfilled. She had broken his heart because of her fear of a threat that was no longer there. She had broken his heart for a stupid reason a reason she should have never allowed to influence her in the first place.

Luna left the church yard and picked up her trunk, left at the gate and took one last look back, wondering how Hermione could be so foolish. With a crack she vanished from sight to begin her journey to a new place and a new life, knowing she had tried but failed to help the one she still loved be with the one he loved above all others.

Hermione had been married for fifteen miserable years to Ron when she saw Harry again. She was in Flourish and Blots with her two red haired children when she bumped in to him and knocked the pile of books he was carrying to the floor.

Harry looked at the back of the woman who had backed into him and growled under his breath before he bent down to retrieve the books he was buying for his children. With his arms once again filled with his books he stood up and found himself looking into the eyes of the only one he had ever truly loved. He looked at the two children with her with a disgusted glare before he stepped around them and headed for the check out counter, not bothering to look back.

Hermione turned to apologise to who ever she had backed into and found her self looking at Harry, she stood there looking into his eyes as all the love she had for him filled her heart once again. She was about to speak when he walked away from her without a word. Rushing after him she called his name, wanting desperately to hear his voice again, wanting to ask him for his forgiveness, to try to rebuild their friend ship but he ignored her. Tears flooded from her eyes as she saw the look of utter hate he gave her children as he passed them, it was at that moment that she realised the Harry she had known and loved had died the day she rejected him. She had no idea how she knew but she did.

Leaving the book shop, her shoulders slumped and her heart aching she glanced around the Alley hoping to see him and there he was sitting at a table outside the ice cream shop eating a large sundae. Taking the hands of her children she walked over the road. With her two children sitting at a table next to Harry's she checked her purse to see what she could afford to buy for them. Having sorted them out with two simple vanilla ice's she turned to talk to Harry.

"Hello Harry, how are you, how have you been?" she asked quietly.

Harry did not even look up as he simply replied "What do you want Weasley?

Hermione could hear the cold hatred in his voice and was unsure what to say; sorrow for what she had done filled her heart making a lump form in her throat as she tried to reply. "H… Harry… I'm… I'm sorry, sorry for what I did. I still love you, I always will."

Still not looking up he replied coldly "To late 'Weasley'"

The disgust that filled the word Weasley was beyond anything she had heard before and it brought a picture into her mind of the day in the tent when Ron had argued and pulled his wand on Harry. She finally knew that was the day Harry began hating Ron, and she wondered why she had never seen it before. The man she was married to had intended to kill Harry that day. The look of utter hate in Ron's eyes was plainly visible in her memory as was the look of realisation in Harry's eyes. Harry had seen what she had missed; she already knew she had chosen the wrong man for the wrong reasons and now she knew why Harry looked at her children with hate, she had given Ron what Harry had wanted with her, 'a family'.

As she stood there a look of shock mingled with horror and sorrow on her face Hermione never noticed the woman who had joined them until she spoke.

"Harry love, Director Ragnok wanted you to pop in before we go home, ok?" Luna gave her husband a kiss on his cheek before looking up at Hermione. "Hello Weasley, how's my curse? Still working I hope."

"It's working perfect Lovegood, I've had fifteen perfectly miserable years," Hermione spat out before she could stop herself.

"The name is Potter, Mrs Potter to you, now if you don't mind go sit with your disgusting off spring and leave us in peace." Luna said in the same way she would ask someone the time.

Before Hermione could reply or move Harry stood up pulling Luna with him, "Come on Mrs Potter, time we got back to the farm, leave this disgusting world again." without another word Harry Potter and his wife Luna walked away.

"Did you get the books we wanted for the children?" Luna asked as they walked toward the Leaky Cauldron heading back to the life away from wizards and magic, that they had made for themselves. Their marriage formed from friendship and loneliness still as strong as it was before he had bumped into Hermione Weasley.

.


	16. Chapter 23 Slow Boat to China

…

Disclaimer, much as it upsets me Harry Potter and associated characters belong to JK Rowling.

Slow boat to China...

There was complete silence as the six foot two inch man dressed in the same black combat clothes that the SAS used climbed to the window on the third floor of the ramshackle building. Opening the window a little the man in black looked across the room to the red headed young man asleep in his bed. Pointing a small pipe at the red haired youth, the man placed a small feathered dart into the pipe and with a swift puff of breath the dart hit the younger man in the neck.

His targets only reaction was a slight movement in his sleep, before he rolled over, his mouth hanging open and his snoring coming to an end. After waiting patiently for five minutes to make sure no one came to investigate why the snoring had stopped the tall athletically built man opened the window and silently crossed the room.

After checking his targets pulse and deciding that everything was going to plan he hoisted the limp body of the red head onto his shoulder and climbed back out of the window. It took just a matter of minutes to reach the ground and lay his unconscious burden down in a dark shadowed area. Then after climbing the building again the six foot two man once again entered the bed room and after making the bed look like it was still occupied he made his way out again.

Five minutes later the tall man closed the boot of a blue Honda car before he climbed into the passenger seat next to his wife, he gave her a quick kiss and whispered ""Phase one complete." The target for the night was safely stowed in the boot of the car and every thing had gone as planned with out a hitch.

Four hours later the tall athletic man climbed once again into the passenger seat of his wife's car. "Phase two complete," he said before he kissed her on the cheek. He had trouble holding in a chuckle as he said "Delivery went without a hitch, seems the gods are smiling on us tonight. It's going to take quite some time for that cretin to work out where he is, if he thinks he's in trouble there… well, I wish I could be there just to watch his face when he tries to explain to the customs and police what the bags of white powder are."

"Which ship was he on?" questioned his wife while pulling away from the dockside.

"Well as you know there were just the two to choose from, and the one heading for China was the closest. Wonder if he knows that song about a slow boat to China." Her husband answered before laughing.

His wife giggled a little and then said "Wonder if he can figure that out all on his own. Right we have a wedding to get to and we don't have all that much time. You best get changed in the back seat, then come back up here and buckle up."

The tall red headed Ronald Bilius Weasley stood holding the hand of Hermione Granger the bonding rope wrapped lightly around their hands felt warm and pleasant, and he listened carefully as the wedding bonder spoke. Turning to face the red haired young man Minerva McGonagall gave him a surreptitious wink before she began reading from a small book in her hand. Do you take this woman Hermione Jane Granger as your lawfully wedded wife?

The Ron Weasley looked into the eyes of the woman he was about to marry and replied "I do."

McGonagall then turned to Hermione and asked "Do you Hermione take this man as your lawfully wedded husband.

Hermione who seemed to be slightly nervous answered "I do."

Minerva McGonagall let out a quiet nervous sigh, before saying "Take out your wands and place the tip on the bonding rope." As they did as they were told she pulled her own wand out and placed it so that it touched both of their wands. "With the authority vested in me as an official wedding bonder, and as a minister for the Kirk I declare you man and wife. You may now kiss your bride.

Ron leaned forward and gently gave Hermione a small kiss while he waited for the magical bonding that would show him if his plans were working. He need not have worried as a very powerful blue light sprang from the joined hands and the rapidly enveloped them. The magical sealing of their marriage was complete. The magical bonding light was the most powerful anyone of the guests had ever seen. Most of the guests were quite shocked as no one had expected such power from Ronald Bilius Weasley who was commonly regarded as a failure as a wizard.

Of the few people there who were not surprised none of them made any comment, they all knew something that the others would not know about for quite some time.

The reception had been in full swing for just fifteen minutes when Helen and Richard Granger managed to separate the two newly weds from the crowd of Weasleys. Richard reached out his hand and surprised Hermione by warmly welcoming his new son in law into the family. She was surprised because only the day before her father had treated Ron with nothing short of pure hatred.

As Helen pulled her newly married daughter into a hug, Richard pulled out a hip flask and offered it to Ron who very quickly took a gulp of the contents before offering it back to Richard. Richard waved it away saying "You will probably need another shot of that by the look of things."

Ron shoved the flask into his coat pocket before he dragged Hermione onto the dance floor. After just one quick dance Ron stood in the middle of the dance floor and clapped his hands loudly, looking at the now silent crowd he had to struggle to hold back the full belly laugh that wanted to escape him. "Ladies and gents, thanks for coming and enjoy the rest of the day, Hermione and I have a little business to see too so we will see you after the honeymoon." With that said he pulled an envelope out of his pocket and grabbing Hermione's hand he said "Home."

There were quite a few lewd remarks made by the wedding guests as the two newly weds vanished in the flash of light from a portkey. Molly Weasley, Ron's mother stood and yelled at the empty space "Ronald Bilius Weasley you get back here now." Which caused everyone to burst into laughter at the over bearing woman who was still trying to control her son even after he was married.

Richard and Helen Granger left the reception and the Weasley home the Burrow while everyone was laughing at the woman they both knew to be evil. After a short walk into the village of Ottery St Catchpole they both climbed into Helens blue Honda. "Phase three completed," she said quietly as she started the car.

Richard looked at her with a slight frown before saying, "I hope Harry survives phase three."

"Well love we will know in a few hours, just keep your fingers crossed it all works as Luna says it will," Helen answered pulling out of the parking space.

The two newly weds arrived in a large elegant bedroom that Hermione did not recognise. Ron seemed a little eager but she did not blame him as she had promised him for months that she would finally have sex with him as soon as they were married.

Fifteen minutes later she was finally making love to her knew husband, she was lying with him between her legs, her eyes closed as she tried to enjoy it. Harry James Potter knew he had timed things proper when he felt the strange sensation of the polyjuice wearing off.

Hermione opened her eyes as she suddenly felt the size of the manhood inside her increase quite an amount. At the same time she opened her eyes Harry thrust into her and released his first spurt of his seed. As his seed entered her he yelled out "Your enchantment is no more old man."

The room was suddenly filled with a white and gold light that hit Hermione in both her chest and her head, apart from removing the enchantment Albus Dumbledore had placed on her to make her fall for Ron it also caused the most powerful orgasm she would ever experience in her entire life. She actually passed out from the pleasure. While Harry continued to empty his seed deep inside her.

Rolling off his new bride he smiled, the enchantment was broken just as their friend Luna had promised. Now all he had to worry about was Hermione not actually feeling the way her mum and dad said she felt, and instead she decided to kill him for what he had done.

Harry did not have long to wait before Hermione hissed from beside him "Harry James Potter, what the hell is going on, what the hell just happened?"

Harry felt a tiny little part of his fears disappear, at least he was still alive to try to explain things to her. Er… well Hermione love, it all really is quite er… I mean your mum and dad… I… you were under an enchantment; Dumbledore paid some enchantress to place on you so you would marry Weasley. They were feeding me a love potion but my magic was able to reject it eventually. Anyway the only way we could find to break the enchantment was for you to marry the man you really love and to consummate the marriage. I was worried sick you would notice something when Minnie did the bonding only using your name, the magical bonding would not have worked if she had used Ron's name and due to the enchantment we would have never been able to convince you to marry me, so we could not use my name. I used polyjuice to look like Ron…" Harry blurted out actually scared she might decide to do some damage to him if she got really mad.

"Polyjuice on lasts an hour… oh, so my dad was in on it too, that hip flask, you copied Crouches idea?" she almost whispered.

Harry took a deep breath "Yes, there were a few of us and we would all die before we let Weasleys have their way and turn you into another Molly. I would have done anything to keep you from wasting all you have worked for. To watch as all your ambitions and that amazing brain went to waste on that prat, I would kill each and every one of them to stop them from taking you from me."

"So the wedding was real then? Well whether it was or not, I want a proper marriage to the man I love, so you best start thinking husband of mine. Now come over here and lets see if we can do the consummation thing properly." She said quite seriously. "Oh what happened to the food shifter?" she giggled.

"Oh Ron took a slow boat to china, curtesy of your mum and dad," he chuckled.

Two months later Harry and Hermione celebrated a proper Muggle wedding. It was almost three years before Ronald Weasley returned from China. He was promptly arrested for the use of illegal potions and enchantments he soon joined his mother and sister in the hotel Azkaban for the next ten years.

...

... ...


	17. Chapter 24 Cauldron cakes

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

A/Note. Harry was not happy with the way things were going after the war. He had vivid memories of the day Ronald Weasley had deserted them. The memories were of the look of pure hate that Ron had given him when Hermione had shielded Harry and chose to stay with him, and not accompany Ron. Harry had seen Ron's eyes and the look that said he wanted to murder his friend Harry. Now on with the tale.

Cauldron cakes, Or getting rid of Ron.

Harry Potter sat in the pub with several of his friends. Friends that included Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, George and Bill Weasley, along with Neville Longbottom and several witches who had accompanied their boyfriends for the evening out to celebrate Seamus's birthday. Looking around at those gathered Harry decided after fingering the small artefact in his pocket, that he would carry out his plan at exactly ten pm, which was just five minutes away.

As he whiled away the five minutes sipping at his butterbeer he looked around at the rest of the room. He had never seen the Three Broomsticks so full. Letting out a sigh he let his mind drift back to just after tea time that day at the Burrow.

'_Harry entered Ron's room intending to have a talk to Ron about their upcoming trip to Australia. Before he could say anything he saw Ron playing with the cheap fake engagement ring he had bought for two galleons in the second hand shop just that morning. Harry could almost hear Ron's thoughts as he twiddled the ring in his fingers._

"_What do you think Harry; I decided to ask Hermione to marry me. I'm going to ask her in the morning before you two set off for Australia, do you think she will agree?" Ron asked a note of pleasure in his voice._

"_Are you having me on, is this some sort of joke to remind to look after her or something? You only decided to become a couple two days ago." Harry asked in shock._

"_No, no joking, I intend to ask her at the airport thingy. I mean I know it might seem sudden, but last night I think she was hinting because she said she would never have sex before she had a ring on her finger, you know what I mean?" Ron replied with a sort of lecherous leer on his face._

"_You two have been together for just two days and you already tried to get into her knickers? What the hell is wrong with you, we've been her friend for seven years; surely you must have known how she feels about sex and marriage?" Harry replied the disbelief in his voice patently obvious to anyone but Ron._

"_Yes but I know she fancies me and well... I already got the ring." Ron mumbled holding up the fake ring for Harry to see._

_The surge of anger and jealousy than ran through Harry at that moment caused him a little surprise. He had not thought of Hermione that way since the disgusting kiss before the final battle at Hogwarts. Harry stormed from the room and went down to join the rest of the family in the kitchen for a while, his thought of how he truly felt about Hermione once again stirring up hate for Ronald Bilius Weasley. When Ron entered the room fifteen minutes later Harry made his excuses and left the Burrow to return to Grimmauld place.'_

At exactly ten pm, Harry squeezed a small object in his pocket. The small muggle joke item gave out a rather loud and very realistic sound. Harry his face blushing on queue said "Excuse me, had a curry for lunch. I'll just pop to the loo, back shortly."

Harry stood from the table and quickly made his way to the gentlemen's toilet. Walking into the stall furthest from the door, he slipped the bolt in place and then pulled out the small artefact from his pocket. He admired the object he had found in his family vault at Gringotts for a minute before turned the centre dial a half turn to the right. After a swirl of colour and the feeling of spinning like a top for a few seconds he put the artefact back in his pocket and with out a sound he vanished from the stall.

Harry arrived silently in Ron's bedroom surprising his supposed best mate. Before Ron could utter a sound Harry placed a silencing charm on the room. Smiling Harry held out his hand to Ron, "I never congratulated you for picking up the courage to ask Hermione earlier," he said grasping Ron's hand to shake.

Ron snatched his hand back as he felt a sharp jab like a pin had been stuck in his palm. He then collapsed backward onto his bed, unable to move.

"It's a muggle poison; it's called curare, paralyses the body and is untraceable to Wizarding folk. Handy things these rings don't you think?" Harry said as he lifted Ron's feet and placed them on the bed, making sure that Ron looked as natural as possible. "So you were going to ask Hermione to marry you? Did you really think I would let you take her from me? You think I would let you ruin her life and mine? Hermione might not know it yet but she will one day be Mrs Harry Potter, she will have my children and she will have a good and happy life with me. You know being with you is not going to happen. I've even got a note in your hand writing telling her you have changed your mind. I won't give it to her till we reach Australia of course just as you asked me too."

Harry gave Ron a look of hate before he reached under Ron's bed and pulled out the box the greedy red head kept his snacks in. "Remember when you deserted us, Hermione couldn't see it, but I could see the hate in your eyes that night, you wanted to kill me and if Hermione had not stopped you that's what you would have done. Well tonight I am making certain that you never get the chance to try again. Taking out a cauldron cake he placed next to Ron's head, pulling out another one he put it in Ron's left hand and then squeezed Ron's hand around it tightly. He then turned his attention back to the one next to Ron's head, before picking it up he forced Ron's mouth open and then forced the entire cake into Ron's mouth. Closing Ron's mouth Harry then pressed his hand over Ron's nose.

It was not long before Ron had choked to death on the cake and Harry checking that everything was as it should be vanished from the room and reappeared back in the toilet stall of the Three Broomsticks. The sensation of spinning once again filled his senses, before he stepped out of the stall he checked his watch, it was five minutes after ten. Having washed his hands Harry joined the rest of his friends at the party.

Sitting down he felt the small artefact in his pocket and thought '_handy little things time turners, especially when they can go forward half an hour_'. Picking up his butterbeer he took a sip and then settled back in to enjoy the banter going on around the table happy in the knowledge that no one in the Wizarding world knew where Hermione was except him. When Ron's tragic accident was discovered around eleven when Mrs Weasley made her nightly check, which was the time that the friends would leave the pub. Harry would disapparate to the flat he shared with Hermione and they would be out of touch with the Wizarding world. She would not know of Ron's untimely death caused by choking on a cauldron cake while stuffing his mouth once again until they arrived back from Australia. He chuckled silently to him self, '_poor old Ron died all alone while Harry and his mates sat around in the Three broomsticks drinking and enjoying the party Ron had not been invited too'_

Everything Harry had planned worked exactly as it should, he and Hermione became a couple a month after he had given her Ron's note breaking up with her for not being good enough for a pureblood. They finally received a letter from Ron's father six months after arriving in Australia telling them of the tragedy that had befallen them. It was just two days after Harry had proposed to his Hermione and received a yes in reply.

Helen and Richard, Hermione's parents talked them into settling down in their new home town where they lived for the rest of their long lives.


	18. Chapter 27 To late to say sorry

Sitting in the great hall of Hogwarts school for witches and wizards and having just finished eating. Albus Dumbledore opened the letters he had just received from the owls that had carried the official ministry seal. After reading the contents he turned to his left to look at his probationary transfiguration teacher as she talked to Minerva McGonagall. The old transfiguration professor was talking about their upcoming class with the fifth years straight after breakfast. As he looked at the young woman he felt so sad, so remorseful he could not hold back the tears that began to fall down his cheeks and into his beard.

Minerva was the one that noticed her old friend looking at them; she was truly shocked as she saw the tears fall down his pale ashen face. "Albus what ever is wrong old friend?" she asked just above a whisper.

Dumbledore struggled to speak for several seconds before he managed to say "Minerva, Hermione could you accompany me to my office?" before he stood and looking older than anyone had ever seen him look before, he walked slumped over with the air of someone defeated as he led the way up the stairs to his office. The two women followed wondering what kind of bad news he had received, what was written in the letters he clutched tightly in his right hand that they had such a devastating affect on the usually strong man.

In his office Albus collapsed into his chair, a look of pain and distress filled his lined face. Tears still dripped slowly down his cheeks. "Albus what is it old friend?" Minerva asked care and worry in her voice.

Dumbledore did not answer, he couldn't due to the lump in his throat, instead he passed her one of the letters which she opened and pressed flat on the desk top to straighten out some of the wrinkles caused by the way it had been clutched.

'_To the chief Warlock, Hogwarts._

_Albus I thought you should know that prisoner 12856 has finally after five years and one day as per his sentence in the high security cells succumbed to the effects of the dementors kiss. Tests carried out both yesterday morning and evening showed he is no longer capable of responding to any external stimulation all signs are that his soul was removed. He will be moved to the deep cells tonight at eight pm. There will be four hourly checks on the body until it ceases to function when it will be buried in an unmarked grave._

_Reginald Dippet._

_Warden_

_Azkaban._

"Who is prisoner 12856?" Hermione Granger asked confused by the letter she had read along with Minerva.

"Is it Potter?" Minerva asked spitting out the name as though it had a foul taste.

Dumbledore slowly nodded looking even worse than they had ever seen him and then he actually sobbed as he passed Minerva the second letter to read.

'_Albus Dumbledore. _

_Hogwarts._

_From Claudius _

_Dept of Mysteries._

_Ministry of Magic UK._

_At your prompting as newly appointed head of this department I ordered a check on all sub departments. Albus it was brought to my notice yesterday afternoon that one of the positions within this dept has been without an assigned member of staff for several years, in fact the last clerk assigned to watch over this position died twenty three years ago._

_As I personally believe this position to be a rather important one I spent several hours last night checking the entries in the book of soul bonds. This morning I checked the last of the books and found that during the past twenty three years there have been more entries than usual over such a short time period. Of the three most recent entries two of the couples have died due to the war. There is only one entry remaining, that of one 'Harry James Potter'._

_You may be wondering why I have brought this to your attention. The simple answer is that the second name on that entry is 'Hermione Jane Granger'. I have left the book open at the relevant page if you should deem it necessary to call and check it in person. In my humble opinion you have wrongly sentenced a young man to death for a crime he could not have committed. I recommend immediate action to rectify this injustice._

_Your Servant Claudius._

_Dept Mysteries_

Minerva McGonagall sat staring at the letter in her hand that was now shaking badly. "Oh god Albus what have we done. If his name is in the… oh god he was innocent."

Hermione was wondering what had such an affect on two of the strongest people she knew and could not contain her curiosity, "Minnie, what's going on?"

"It's Harry, he…" Minerva tailed off she could not finish what she was about to say.

"Potter, what has that evil bastard done this time, I thought the other letter said he was… has he finally died, I pray he has, he deserves it for what he did to my parents." Hermione said with venom in her voice.

"We need to go to the ministry, Minerva send a message to Filius, tell him he is in charge and to cancel all transfiguration classes for the day. Hermione you need to come with us," Dumbledore said after taking a deep breath and bracing himself for the worst, he made a portkey to the ministry atrium while McGonagall sent a patronus message to Filius Flitwick, after having to try three times to get her patronus to work.

Ten minutes later the two women and Dumbledore entered the room in the department of mysteries known as the locked room. Dumbledore was the first to reach the pedestal that stood in the centre of the room. One quick glance down at the open book sitting atop the pedestal confirmed that the letter was true.

Minerva held back a little, not wanting for the letter to be wrong and yet praying it was, and so mitigate the hate she had held for her former student. As she finally stepped forward to read the page Hermione was stopped by Dumbledore. "Hermione child you should know that Harry Potter…"

Hermione spoke over him not letting him finish his words, "Don't mention that bastard to me again. That evil vile monster murdered my mum and dad."

"Hermione you need to listen to me… Harry could not have killed your parents, no matter what the evidence points to; Harry was both physically, mentally and magically incapable of committing that crime. He was totally incapable of harming you or your family. Harry did not kill your mother and father." Minerva said in an emotionally charged voice.

"Minnie he was caught red handed leaving their bedroom, their blood on his hands. Ron and I were there when Moody stunned him, he is guilty," Hermione hissed filled with hate for the man who had been her best friend for six years before turning dark.

"Hermione, this is the book of bonds. Harry was your soul mate, he was your bond mate, his soul was tied to yours, he could not do what he was imprisoned for, his magic and his own soul would not allow it. We put an innocent boy into Azkaban for five years. I pray the reports from the prison of him being kissed are incorrect, I will never forgive myself if we have murdered the boy." Dumbledore said as Hermione looked at the book for herself.

Hermione read Harry's and her name in the book not wanting to believe what the people with her were telling her. But there it was in neat script, the name of the one she had hated for five years was her intended soul mate. She had read all about the book of bonds, she knew what it meant, she knew all that was known about the book and the bonds, what they did and what they meant. Her legs collapsed under her as she realised what they had done. She suddenly remembered about another innocent that had been sent to that most awful of places because people believed their first impressions and investigated no further.

Though Sirius had not been given a trial like Harry had they could hardly call Harry's a real trial. Thinking of Harry's trial she suddenly felt physically sick and heaved what breakfast she had eaten onto the floor. She remembered in vivid detail how Harry had been silenced before he even awoke from the stunner. He had been escorted still unconscious into the courtroom, been chained to a chair then enervated still under the silencing spell he was completely unable to say a single word in his own defence and there was not a single soul in that huge court room objecting to him being silenced.

He did not even have a proper trial, there was no one asked to give evidence, no one appointed to assist Harry in his defence, no questions asked. Every one had simply accepted what they had seen and been told, they found him guilty without questioning him at all. As these memories flashed through her mind she realised that the blood on Harry's hands had probably got there as he tried in vain to help her mum and dad. She heard the words of the judge echo in her head.

"So Harry Potter there will be no need of an expensive trial we all know you were caught with blood still on your hands. So we will take your silence as a sign of your guilt, you will be taken from this court to Azkaban where you will spend five years and a day time to think about the evil crime you have committed, you will then be taken and executed by a Dementors kiss."

The last part of Harry's sentence had already been carried out and they all knew that there was no way even he could survive that, even if he wanted to do so. They all knew in their hearts that Harry James Potter was gone, murdered by the people he loved fought so hard to save.

"He… he … he never stood a chance did he, he was sentenced while under a silencing spell and I was happy about it… me Hermione Granger, the great advocate for justice was happy to see him dragged away in chains to that hell hole unable to say a word in his own defence. What sort of evil bastards are we, witches and wizards who can kill innocents and be bloody happy about it, what kind of disgusting world has the British magical community created when getting a real trial and justice is denied without regret. And you Dumbledore you're the worst dark lord that ever walked this earth, doing all you can to keep this foul and evil way of life alive for you and your vile and evil greater good. A greater good that only exists in your myopic mind," Hermione screamed at the old man who stood looking at her with tears still running down his face, knowing she was right.

Once they had calmed Hermione down they took a portkey to Azkaban where they saw the beaten emaciated soulless body of Harry Potter just as it took its last shallow breath and then gave up on life.

Returning to Hogwarts they arrived to find the whole school population out on the front lawn. Filius Flitwick met them as they entered the school gates. "We have a major problem headmaster… Harry Potter is inside the school and… well… he's destroying the place. Says he's here to curse your soul to the deepest pits of hell."

Albus, Minerva and Hermione entered the school and found the entrance hall trashed, the portraits were lying around shredded into scraps of parchment. Suits of armour melted out of shape, shields and tapestries completely destroyed. The Great hall was even worse. Every item in the hall was destroyed beyond repair or in most cases even recognition. Standing at the far end of the hall stood an eight foot tall version of what Harry Potter had once looked like.

Albus tried to speak to the apparition, "Harry I'm so sorry, I was so wrong."

Harry ignored what the old man said and looked at Hermione "Hello slut… are you enjoying your life with the Weasle. They are next on my list, especially dear Ronald, him, I'm going to slowly tear to pieces, I want you there to watch when I do that, I'm going to rip his bits off and shove them down your filthy throat, see if you still enjoy them when they come as a separate item. Then I'm going to send your stained and blackened soul to suffer for all eternity for betraying and destroying your soul mate."

Hermione fell to her knees, "You are not Harry's spirit, Harry would never do such things," she said crying.

"No, I'm far, far worse than Harry Potter's soul, that's gone now, it no longer exists, destroyed, beyond either heaven or hell by those spawns of evil you murderers fed him too. No… I am Harry Potter's magic, I was created to preserve, to protect but that was before we were betrayed now I am free to do as I wish. Now I look for vengeance, for justice. I look forward to punishing dear Ronald for his murder of Helen and Richard, Harry promised their souls that he would give them justice and I will make sure they get it. But first I will tear down this den of evil bigotry. Then I the magic of this land will destroy this world that misuses me." Harry said as he crackled and blue lightening like bolts shot out of him and shattered the ceiling and blew away the rear wall of the castle.

Hermione had thought her life could get no worse when she had seen what was left of the man she had loved die in that awful prison, to learn that she had been living with her parents murderer for the past four years, that she had given her virginity to and slept with the one who had basically butchered her mum and dad made her even worse.

Albus and Minerva had to carry her out of the school as Harry Potter's magic tore the castle apart while they were helpless to stop it. While the wild magic of Harry tore down the castle, the staff led the students to Hogsmeade where they used the various floo connections of the villagers to return the students to their homes as quickly as they could.

Thirty minutes after her fellow professors began to evacuate the students from Hogsmeade, Hermione apparated to the Burrow. Walking in through the back door she was welcomed home by Molly Weasley, who shouted to let Ron know that Hermione had arrived home. As soon as Ron entered the kitchen Hermione hit him with a full body bind spell. "You murdered my mother my father and Harry, or what's left of Harry knows. He's going to be coming for you as soon as he has finished destroying Hogwarts." She said her voice full of hate.

Molly stood staring for a short time before she could think of what to say. "Harry? Destroying Hogwarts? Hermione dear are you ok?" she managed after a while.

"No Molly I'm not alright… today's the day they executed Harry, they destroyed his soul, killed his body, what is left of him is just his raw magic and he knows Ron killed my parents, he knows I've been living with and having sex with the murderer that got him killed. Harry knows that his soul mate betrayed him in the worst possible way. He's coming here and he is going to kill us all and I don't blame him after what we did to him." Hermione replied quietly, resigned to the fact she was going to die very soon.

"Hermione dear, you are not making any sense. If you were Harry's soul mate he could not have killed your… oh gods no… Ron… you didn't, tell me you didn't." Molly said as she finally made sense of what Hermione was saying. Even Molly could see the guilt in Ron's face even through the body bind, though she refused to believe what she knew to be the truth.

Hermione was sitting simply staring at Ron with such hate that the petrified red head could almost feel it. She had hardly moved in the two hours she had been sitting in the kitchen. Molly had convinced her self that Ron was not guilty and the young woman who was to become her daughter in law had had a nervous breakdown and rather than risk Ron getting hurt she left things as they were and waited, hoping for Hermione to fall asleep or to drop her wand. She did not really want to risk hurting either of the two young ones and decided to be patient and wait out Hermione's strange behaviour.

The first indication Molly got that Hermione really had been telling the truth came when the entire side of the Burrow disintegrated into saw dust. "Harry's here for us Ron… he's going to kill you slowly and extremely painfully." Hermione said as she watched the magic shaped like Harry Potter appear in the centre of the gap where the wall had stood a moment before.

Hermione turned to the version of Harry that she knew was here to end her life. "Harry before I die I would like to know why this filth killed my parents."

Harry nodded and simply looked at Ron who started to scream as Harry turned Ron's own magic against him. "Tell her Weasle, tell her what she wants to know. Tell her why she will suffer for all eternity."

Ron gasping for breath managed to speak "They knew, they were going to tell Harry about the soul bond. They were going to take you from me and give you to Potter. You belong to me, I got what was Potter's and no matter what happens you can not take it back. I won." Those were the last words Ron spoke.

The following morning the Weasleys were all found dead, along side them Hermione Granger who had choked to death on Ron Weasleys genitals that were stuffed down her throat. Ron Weasley had been torn limb from limb, even his fingers and toes had been torn off. It had been the longest night of Ron Weasleys life.

Over the next two weeks everyone who had wronged Harry Potter was found dead. Voldemort all the death eaters and their supporters. Some had died in immense pain. The last to die were the ministry, everyone in the building died when Harry Potter's magic entered the building and simply exploded.

Albus Dumbledore died a broken man; Hermione's words about him being a dark lord were echoing in his ear as Harry's magic drained his life force slowly, his soul having been cursed by Harry was thrown into the deepest pit of hell.

Hermione died after watching as the Weasleys were all suffocated by excess magic. All except the one she had been living with. True to his word Harry tore Ron apart very slowly, stretching out his pain and suffering as long as possible. Her soul was cast into limbo to spend eternity yearning for its other half, the half that had been destroyed by Dementors and no longer existed.

Ron Weasley's soul became the demons of hell's plaything suffering burning indignities for all eternity, regret for what he did burned constantly in his soul with no release and no forgiveness.

As for Hogwarts it was never reopened after the destruction that Harry Potter had visited up on the ancient old castle and it's ruins eventually became a tourist attraction.

Gradually the remains of the magical world rebuilt itself, but in a far more civilised way. With all the purebloods dead there were just the muggleborn left who brought the magical world up to date with the rest of the world. All sentient beings were recognised and respected for what they could do. True justice became the entitlement of all, and no one was sentenced with out a fair and proper trial. Harry Potter was remembered as the bringer of justice to an unjust world, Albus Dumbledore and what he stood for was a hated memory that would be remembered as a path to destruction never to be followed. Albus Dumbledore himself was almost forgotten, remembered simply as an evil wizard in the more obscure history books.

...


	19. Chapter 19 Time step

14

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse

TIME STEP

It was with a determined look in his eye that Harry James Potter walked along the path leading to the door of the ramshackle house that was the Weasley home. His best friend Hermione Jane Weasley, who was formerly a Granger, was staying along with her husband, at the elder Weasleys home for a quiet week end while her children were at Hogwarts School.

Opening the kitchen door and being welcomed by the Weasley matriarch Molly, Harry pulled his wand and a fraction of a second later Molly was silenced and firmly bound from head to toe. Stepping into the living room Harry saw what he was expecting to see. Hermione his best friend was sitting reading a book, while behind her sat Arthur Weasley and Hermione's husband Ron playing chess.

They only realised Harry was there when there was a flash of light, but only Hermione was able to look up in surprise while held in a body bind. Arthur and Ron were both in the same condition as Molly. Harry walked forward and knelt in front of Hermione. "Sorry Hermione love but I will free you if you will swear to do nothing until you have heard me out."

Hermione who was under a petrification spell from her shoulders down, had been about to rant at Harry but on seeing the serious look in his eye she chose to listen to what he had to say. "Okay Harry, but this had better be good," she announced whilst giving him her usual glare.

Harry nodded and stood up releasing the charm that held her. He then pulled a book from his pocket and handed it to her. "Read this Hermione, you might find it interesting; I got my hands on it over in Trinidad a few days ago. Believe it or not it's also very famous in the muggle shops here in Britain, been on the best seller list for a long time now. The reason you have never seen it before, is that each batch sold in our wonderfully free country has an extraordinarily strong repulsion charm cast on it by the Unspeakables so that magicals won't go near it. A magical person, even a squib would never be able to get close enough to even think to buy one.

Hermione looked at the paper back book that looked like a children's book, she was not really interested in those kind of books until she saw the title. 'Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone'. Intrigued Hermione began to read. Being who she was it did not take too long for Hermione to read the entire book. Looking up at Harry she spoke quietly, "Harry this is an extraordinarily detailed book about our first year, it's written exactly as I remember that year. You say they are selling these in muggle bookstores?"

"Yes Hermione and you are right, perfectly detailed. There are several more although I was only able to get my hands on two of them in English, and this is the only other one that was available and for sale at the time. He then pulled another book out of his pocket, "read the first chapter of this one," he said handing her another paper back with the picture of a blue ford Anglia on the front.

Hermione was quite shocked as she read the first chapter of the second book. "Amazingly accurate," she muttered as she looked up at Harry once again.

"Yes again you are right, now I didn't think much about it at first, other than being annoyed at our story being available in shops. Then I started to try to figure out who could have remembered everything in such detail, well obviously the only one I could think of was your self… but then when trying to remember when you might have been able to get something like that done without some one noticing I was struck by something I have never thought about before. Tell me Hermione, do you remember Christmas our first year?"

"Yes Harry, just like it says in the book, why?" she answered.

"In a minute, do you remember the summer holidays of that year?" he said still looking serious. Well I do, everything I remember happened just as the books said, the thing I noticed though is that I could remember absolutely nothing that is not in those books, not even you or myself taking toilet breaks or anything like that. So tell me Hermione what details can you remember about your holidays, what can you remember about the days when you were with your mum and dad?" Harry said expectantly. He was still a little unsure if it was what he suspected, or if his memory was actually damaged.

Hermione sat looking up at him, a look of shock growing in her eyes, "Harry the only things I can remember are the parts that I am mentioned in these books, why have I never thought about it before, how come I never even vaguely thought about it before?" she asked a little fear entering her voice.

Harry finally sat down next to her and then gently took hold of her hands. "Hermione there is a book on every year we were at Hogwarts, from what I learned there's even one that was written about our quest and the last battle, Snape's end, and how we killed Tom and what happened after… I don't think that these were meant to be books… I think we were obliviated and these were the scripts of our supposed lives fed to us, that's the only thing that I can see that would have us remembering only the things in the books. I also think the Weasleys were in on it because…. Er … can I ask you an extremely personal question?"

Hermione was now looking worried as she understood what Harry was saying; their memories did seem to be rather like scripts read from the book. "Okaaaay… Harry… I don't think it would hurt to ask… I mean I don't need to answer if I don't want too."

Harry looked down at the floor. Even though he was now forty and a married man with kids, asking Hermione what he was about to ask was still embarrassing. Taking a really deep breath he asked, "Hermione do you… er… do you have a small brown birth mark about an inch above your… your… your private area?"

Hermione was truly shocked and it took her several seconds before she could bring her self to nod slowly, "How would you know that it's … well it's hidden in my pubic hair?" she eventually asked.

Harry was still staring at the floor when he answered, "Well you know I have always suffered from nightmares about the things that happened to us… to you… some of them can alter at times, but… well, one of them is not so much a nightmare, as it is a very erotic dream about us when we were in a bed room, the things we did together. It's a very vivid dream and it never changes, I remember everything in the dream, I remember every detail of your body and what you liked or disliked when making love."

Hermione sat looking into his eyes her face a look of utter shock and almost as red as her husband's hair. "Harry!" She declared in shock, and as she stared at him her look began to change slowly, "I often have a dream about us too, we were hoping on getting married!" She exclaimed loudly as she turned to give a look of true anger at Ron… "But if that dreams true how did I end up married the idle berk and working myself to death to keep a home together for him and his two children?"

Harry looked at her with a sad look, "I have quite a lot of questions Hermione, we both do… the main one being what actually happened to us during our years at Hogwarts, and how come no one let anything slip. Who did this to us is another good question."

"What plans have you made up to now?" she asked quietly while glaring at the two Weasley men.

"I have made some arrangements to see a specialist mind healer for both of us, the rest will be explained to you later if what I suspect is true, but we have to do some travelling as he won't be able to help us here in Britain. Oh and if you decide to come with me wear your best winter clothes because it's below freezing there."

Hermione stood up from the couch she had been sitting on for most of the afternoon and stretched a little before she said "I need to pop home, need to pack a few things to take with me."

Harry gave her a sad little smile, "I'll wait here for you, got nothing better to do until I find out what the hell is happening." He told her as she picked up some floo powder.

Nodding her head and giving him a smile of encouragement she threw the powder into the fire called out "The Herron," stepped into the green flames that had appeared in place of the normal fire and vanished in a swirl of green smoke. Just fifteen minutes later she returned dressed in the best winter cloths she owned, not that they were exactly good ones. Being Ron's wife had been a very hard life for a woman who loved to read and teach.

She had to go out to work every day to earn a living, and as a muggleborn she had been unable to find work in the magical world. So to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table she worked as a waitress at a none-magical restaurant in Oxford. Each day arriving home tired she still had to do all the house work because Ron thought it was below him to do what he called woman's work. His dad never did house work so Ron did none.

He had had several jobs over the years and had lost or packed in all of them. His reputation was so bad that he was now classed in the magical world as unemployable. Even his brother George had refused to employ him, though George did occasionally slip Hermione a few galleons to help out and to keep the kids from starving.

Leaving the Weasleys still trust up until the spells wore off, Harry and Hermione walked to the edge of the Burrow wards and with a predestined arrival point they used a portkey Harry had with him and they vanished in a swirl of dust and colour.

Hermione knew that it was going to be cold wherever Harry was taking her to find out what had happened to them, but she had not expected the temperature to be so far below freezing. They had arrived on a remote mountain side in Greenland. Holding on to each other for balance as they arrived, Harry almost kissed her and her eyes shot wide as she realised what was going to happen. She felt slightly disappointed when Harry was able to snap himself out of it before he did something that he thought would earn him either a slapped face or at least a telling off.

Still holding hands Harry stepped forward and placed his free hand on a square piece of glass set in the stone of the mountain, and did not remove it until a door appeared and then opened fully. Harry led the way into a rather long tunnel that was well lit. They only had to walk a short distance from the door before it closed and as it did a small vehicle similar to an enlarged go cart rolled out of a small side tunnel and stopped in front of them. Harry helped her to sit in the back seat and he sat in the front to do the steering. Although the cart seemed to take off with a mind of its own as soon as Harry sat down.

It took them just five minutes before they reached their destination and Harry helped Hermione out of the cart which then took off back to the entrance area. Harry opened a low door which was obviously made of very thick oak and with his hand on the small of her back they walked into a large cavernous chamber. On the wall furthest away from them was what looked to Hermione like a huge movie screen, but what surprised her most about the chamber was the number of Goblins that were rushing around doing some odd magic she had never seen before.

As the two of them stood looking around they were approached by a shorter than average Goblin who rubbed his hands together. "Good evening, good evening indeed… I take it you are our two possible volunteers. From the information I received you are to be treated for possible mind altering before you make a decision as to whether you wish to take part in our experiment. Oh I do hope you will, it is so hard trying to find volunteers, in fact we have yet to find a single human willing to take the risk.

You should know we could do with someone brave like you Mr Potter. We tried it with a Goblin you know, it worked fine until those fool Goblins at Gringotts killed him thinking he was a raving lunatic. Well no dawdling around, time is money and it is wasting away, so do follow me and we will soon have you sorted."

"Harry what on earth is he talking about?" Hermione whispered as they followed the small Goblin through several doors and smaller chambers.

"We'll talk about that after we see the mind healer eh, I don't want us to be thinking of anything that could cause a problem for us just yet." Harry replied as they entered a normal room. Well normal in the sense of its size. It was a room completely covered in rune etchings, walls floor and ceiling.

Hermione looked around at the various rune sets noticing that there were several different languages. The small Goblin handed the two humans over to a Goblin healer who had them sit on two comfortable armchairs. "Right Mr Potter and friend, you are here to determine if you have been subjected to any mind altering and if so to put things right… from my notes I see you have no idea what or who might be involved or if there has indeed been anything so drastic carried out on you both. Is that correct?"

Both Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement. Giving each other worried looks, they both knew there had to have been something done to them, they were wondering if what they learned might be a new nightmare for them. The healer had them drink a small goblet of potion that tasted and looked like a banana milk shake. As soon as they had drunk the potion the lights in the room went out and the healer began chanting while he made his way out of the room. As the healer reached the door and finished his chant the runes around the room began to glow. It started out a dim glow at first but then it began to get more powerful until they could barely see anything, moments later they were both squeezing their eyes shut as the light became to intense for them.

It was two days later when the two of them opened their eyes again. Both of them had had to be treated for shock after what they had experienced. Both of them had had their true memories restored to them.

They had both shown themselves to be extra ordinarily powerful when using accidental magic as children and they had both been kidnapped by Minerva McGonagall on their first visit to Diagon Alley.

They had been held as Albus Dumbledore's prisoners in the Hogwarts dungeons. For seven years they had been forced to train like animals and learn the magic they were told. Several times they were taken from their prison and forced to face death eaters and Voldemort. They were beaten starved and mistreated when they tried to rebel. Subjected to horrendous pain that was inflicted on them if they resisted their captors. Sometimes if they were too rebellious the pain went on for hours on end. Never allowed to leave their underground prison unless it was to be forced to fight for their lives against people they did not even know, for reasons they did not know.

Their lives had been a nightmare that had seemed never ending. They became lovers in their sixth year of captivity, their times being together and eventually making love being the only happiness they knew, they spent hours talking and planning ways to escape the crazy old wizard and his lackeys who kept them prisoner. Then there had been the final fight when they had to face the vile Voldemort once again. It was the night they finally got a chance to escape and taking their chances they crept out of their dungeon prison and stepped right into the middle of a battle. There were fights and duels taking place all over the castle.

Their chance of escape vanished when Voldemort saw them sneaking through the great hall, trying to stay away from the dozens of fights happening around the hall. Voldemort had cut them off and they had ended up fighting him once again. It was during that fight that Voldemort's luck ran out, he was facing the two of them alone, he had no powerful people fighting along side him; they were all too busy fighting to save their own lives. The two of them holding hands had been able to hit the vile creature with two blasting hex's that killed him instantly.

As soon as they knew he was dead they made a dash for the exit doors, they held hands and looked for a way out as they ran, they were almost at the castle boundary, the gates of freedom were just fifty yards away when they were knocked unconscious from a stunning spell that came from the collars they both wore around their necks. Their control collars that McGonagall controlled could inflict some truly horrendously severe pain when they disobeyed an order and were used to stop their escape. When they had woken up they were both married to a Weasley and had completely new memories of the past eight years.

One memory that was revealed did surprise them; they were fed their new memories by Minerva McGonagall and Filius Flitwick who had been two of their trainers. Flitwick told them that as far as they were concerned they had served their purpose and that he and McGonagall disagreed with Dumbledore's plan to use them both to breed and build a powerful protection force that would be answerable to him and only him, a plan he had devised when he had discovered just how powerful their accidental magic was, showing those with the knowledge just how powerful they would eventually be. Of course all that was to happen once they had matured and they had disposed of Voldemort. After the old man had died their trainers formed a new plan with the help of some friends and the unspeakables, they intended to set them free. Well they would be given a sort of freedom that their trainers could live with. A freedom that would still be controlling them with out their knowing, as they were to be used to strengthen old pureblood blood lines. McGonagall had been the one to obliviate that last memory though her charms work seemed far less powerful than Flitwick's.

Harry and Hermione were given time to recover from their two days in the rune chamber as it was called. Their full memories were restored and they once again began to plan. It took them a full week to come up with a feasible plan that had a very good chance of working. They knew that with the Goblins help they could either return to a time before they were kidnapped and try to do something then, risking never meeting each other, or they could use the little window of opportunity that presented itself during their attempted escape and give their younger selves the chance to get away and remain together.

Their minds made up they called to let the Goblins know that they were ready. It was a fairly large group of Goblins that proudly showed them their new invention. It was what the Goblins called a 'Time Step'. The two humans stood in front of the huge screen and watched as the Goblins demonstrated how they could pick any place in history and then someone could theoretically step through time using the Time Step and arrive at their chosen destination and time.

Hermione gave them the location and a rough idea of the time they wanted to step into. It took ten minutes before everything was set and the huge screen held a live scene of the battle going on in the great hall of Hogwarts. They were viewing the battle from the entrance doors and could see their younger selves at the other end of the hall fighting for their lives against a murdering ego maniac. They gave each other a kiss before they drew in a breath, wished each other good Luck and stepped onto the Time Step.

The Goblins in the chamber looked on disappointed when the battle scene they were watching ran its short course. Their instruments showed that the two humans had not appeared on the other side of the Time Step. Convinced they had got some thing wrong in their calculations the Goblins set about trying to find the error.

As the battle raged in the great hall of Hogwarts, no one noticed two small globes of silver and gold light that sped through the hall at the two teens who were fighting Voldemort. No one noticed the bright flash of light that lit up the two teens for an instant at the same time as their two spells hit the dark lord.

Harry holding Hermione's hand suddenly felt himself hurtling through a void and then he was hurtling toward his teenage self and with a flash he was standing facing the falling body of Voldemort. When he looked to his left he saw in Hermione's eyes that she was in the same condition he was. Without speaking they both turned and ran for the exit doors just as they had before. Once through the main door of the castle, instead of running for the open gates of the grounds, they started on their plan though it was changed a little to account for the unexpected change of being in their younger bodies. Harry stepped to the right and Hermione stepped to the left moving back into the shadows of the castle doors.

They had just pressed themselves back into the shadows when two figures came running out of the castle and paused half way down the steps. Neither Flitwick nor McGonagall knew what had hit them as they both dropped unconscious at the same time. Stunned by Harry and Hermione, who for the first time while outside their prison and were not fighting, had their wands. The two professors rolled to the base of the steps before they were joined by the two teens that now had the minds of forty year olds and were armed, and wanting revenge.

Quick levitation charms cast on the two unconscious bodies by Hermione allowed them to levitate them in front of them as they ran for the castle gates. Four hours later Filius Flitwick and Minerva McGonagall woke up in a dirty cellar, they were both tied with tight ropes that they were unable to remove. They both looked up when they heard a low growl like sound and a door opening. There was a look of horror on their faces when they saw Harry and Hermione, their control collars no longer around their necks, and their wands in their hands.

Minerva realised with fear and pain that she was now wearing one of the collars and Hermione had the control rune block. McGonagall screamed and writhed in pain while trying to beg for mercy as Hermione turned up the pain flooding her body. Flitwick was the next to suffer as Hermione activated the collar he was wearing.

It took the two forty year olds in their teen bodies quite some time to learn to cope with their different sets of memories, the one set that they knew were false but had at least been of a far better life than their real memories, and their real memories of a life that no child should have ever been subjected too. Eventually over several days the souls of the older two melded into the two younger souls, they began to accept that they had lived two different lives, both of them forced on them by an evil world led by an old man who they could not punish because he had died before they could seek revenge.

Together they began to put their minds to what they would do in the future. There were of course a few people they needed to deal with, but they would need to visit the Goblins first to settle their affairs there, to reclaim any and all stolen moneys. They would then visit Hermione's old home to see if her parents were still living there. She prayed that they were, she had missed them so much while she had been held in the evil place. She wondered if they would know her, if they were still alive would they recognise her after eight years.

The day before they decided to leave the old farm they were using, Harry asked Hermione if she would marry him. She said yes instantly and informed her soon to be husband that they could be married while they were at Gringotts.

For more days than they cared to count the two evil professors Flitwick and McGonagall repeatedly suffered the same horrendous pain they had so willingly inflicted on two children. During that time they revealed all their dirty little secrets to Harry and Hermione. They told of Dumbledore's plans for his private army, and of their own plan for the two teens, as well as who was helping them. Eleven days after locking the two professors in the cellar and just an hour after allowing them to eat their breakfast, Hermione followed by Harry entered the cellar.

"Well professors Harry and I will be leaving today so you won't see us again." Hermione said her face showing a cold face of hate.

"Yes we just popped down to say good bye," Harry added with an evil grin.

Together Harry and Hermione walked out of the cellar and closed the door. Minerva looked at her life long friend and silently asked him if he thought they were actually leaving. Flitwick nodded and let out a quiet breath. "I think they are going to go after the Weasleys now. I hope they place these damn collars on one of them. In fact I wish I had never seen the bloody things."

Minerva nodded at him as guilt was flooding her mind, "God Filius we have been using these vile evil things on those two children for years, never once did I wonder how much pain they were in as long as they did as we told them to do, now I know I pray that they do as you said or that we find a way out of here."

The faint words "No chance," came through the closed door as Hermione activated the collars and turned up the pain threshold to its maximum. Pain throughout the entire body so intense it would slowly drive the person insane before it finally killed them. Harry and Hermione left the deserted old farmhouse miles from any other dwelling to the sounds of the agonising screams of their old tormentors and torturers; holding hands they both vanished as they apparated away. They had more things to take care of. Others to get their revenge on.

They arrived in Diagon Alley on the steps of Gringotts bank. Just a few minutes later after speaking to a teller they were talking to an account manager. The account manager was not being very helpful when he refused to believe that any release of funds forms that were filed were not signed by Harry. Eventually Hermione asked if the bank had a pensieve they could use, and would a very senior bank official be available to view the memories because they contained one of the Goblins most guarded secrets.

It took four hours and several Goblin provided mugs of tea and coffee before they were joined by the Goblin overlord who had been called back from business on the continent. Hermione after asking a few short questions for the Goblin to prove he was senior enough to view their top secrets, filled a pensieve with a series of short memory clips of their imprisonment over the past eight years, along with the memory of their visit to a secret Goblin location where they were treated by a Goblin healer. The last memory revealed their stepping onto the Goblin made Time Step.

As the Goblin over lord left the pensieve he declared that all and any forms signed by Harry Potter were forgeries and all removals of possessions or funds from the Potter vaults had been illegal, every effort was to be made to reclaim the stolen money and goods without delay even if the money had to be taken from the ministry vaults. He then turned to Harry and Hermione, "After seeing those memories and knowing what you have been through and still rid the world of Voldemort for us, is there anything the Goblin nation can do for you."

Hermione smiled at the head of the Goblin nation and asked him something he had not expected. "Would you be able to marry us and would it be legal in the muggle world?"

The Goblin was looking at the young human female in front of him for several seconds before he burst into laughter. "Oh I like you miss. Of all the things in the world you could have asked for I never expected that. Yes we Goblins can and will carry out the ceremony for you and yes it will be legal in the world of the wizards and the non-magicals. In fact I will carry out the ceremony myself while my subjects work on restoring all the Potters have being robbed of."

Harry was worried about Hermione not having a dress and all the other things a woman should have on her wedding day, but Hermione told him not to worry about those things because if her parents were still alive and she could find them she intended to have a real non-magical wedding. Harry nodding his head agreed that they could do that without any problems.

The Goblin overlord looked at the two teens that were not really teens and marvelled at how they had stayed so sane after the things he had seen in those memories. That they had been willing to reveal to him that the Time Step would eventually work but in an unexpected way, gave him a good feeling about the Potters. "So Mr Potter and miss… er…"

"Granger sir, Hermione Jane Granger."

"Yes good, well my name is Ragnok leader of the Goblin nation and I suggest we leave this office for a short time and make our way to the ceremony room, where I will have several of Gringotts curse breakers brought in to witness your marriage."

Their wedding was short with ten curse breakers to bear witness, and as promised the Goblin overlord Ragnok carried out the ceremony. Two hours later the two newly weds left Gringotts via an exit into the non-magical world. With their wallets full they headed straight for the first shopping centre they could find. They wanted clothes that they chose, and not the Victorian type clothes they had been supplied with.

A small jewellers supplied them both with wedding rings that were chosen by Hermione and wearing their rings and new clothes they apparated to a hidden alley in Oxford. To their joint surprise and Hermione's utter joy they discovered that Hermione's parents still lived in the same house. As it was the middle of the day the house was obviously empty, so the two teens made themselves comfortable sitting on the front door step, cuddled together they fell asleep in each others arms, and while they slept they could feel the comforting presence of each other which allowed them to sleep nightmare free for the first time in eight years.

Helen and Richard Granger arrived home from work that evening and even before she had stopped the car she drove, Helen Granger knew that her baby had finally come home. "HERMIONE!" the word left Helen's mouth as she simultaneously pulled on the hand brake opened the car door and jumped out. The car was still sliding to a stop as she left it but Helen did not care, she would recognise her only child's hair anywhere in the world.

Helen's almost scream of her name woke Hermione just a moment before Harry woke up. Scrambling to her feet Hermione rushed to her mother. She had thought that their reunion if it happened would be a little difficult, but that thought was gone as she threw her self into her mother's arms in the middle of the driveway.

Mother father and daughter were huddled together in a tight family hug. Harry sat on the door step a small smile on his lips, happy that his new wife still had her parents. "When we have finished our business with the magical world I hope they will all agree to my little plan to leave this foul land behind." He muttered to himself. Patiently he waited while Hermione hugged and spoke with her mum and dad. As they all stood there Harry blessed the fact that he had been forty years old and had matured quite a lot before they returned to this world. It allowed him to silently enjoy his wife's happiness without any great sadness over his own lack of a family.

Finally after about ten minutes Hermione remembered she was now married and that her husband was waiting for her, turning to him she held out her hand to him and invited him to join her. "Mum, Dad, this is my husband Harry… Harry my mum and dad Helen and Richard." She said making the introductions.

"So very pleased to meet you Mr and Mrs Granger, you have no idea what a relief it is to see that you are both alive and well." Harry said as he held out his hand to Mrs Granger.

Helen ignored his hand and gently pulled him into a hug while thanking him for bringing her little girl back to her family. Harry had a tear in his eye as Mr Granger said almost the exact same words. Neither mother nor father made any mention about them being too young to be married. Which he had actually expected to happen. He quickly realised they were far too happy to have Hermione back to worry about other things.

The small reunited family made their way into the house, where Hermione found there had been little change from what she could remember. While her mum and dad stepped into the kitchen to make a cup of tea, or in Richard's case pour a small glass of brandy. Hermione took Harry up to her old room to find it just they way she had left it all those years ago. Her small collection of dolls in national costumes lined the only shelf that was not filled with books. The bed still had the special canopy her dad had made for her, and her old clothes were still in her wardrobe.

After their quick inspection of the house Hermione announced to Harry, "Seems the only real change is the colour of the décor, my dad still has that ancient old chair in his study. So little has changed Harry." she sounded quite surprised as she spoke. "Except maybe it all seems a little smaller."

"It was like that where I grew up Hermione love, I don't remember anything ever changing much in that house, mind you when you come to think about it, I don't suppose there is really much you can change except maybe the furniture." Harry said as they entered the kitchen.

It took the two teens very late into the night to tell the two Grangers what had happened to them and what their immediate plans were. Harry ended their tale with a rather cold threat, "some people in the wizarding world will pay for what they did to us."

It was just after two am when they finally made it to bed, both of them sharing the bed Hermione had slept in as a little girl. They were both asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow. Tomorrow was going to be the start of a purge in the wizarding world, a purge that no one expected.

Two days later Harry and Hermione crept up to the dilapidated old house that was the Weasley home and peeked in the window to ensure their quarry were all gathered. Nodding to each other Harry walked around to the front of the house while Hermione walked to the back. Almost in sync they stepped back thirty feet from the building, and with revenge on their minds and the false memories reminding them that they were to be taken away from each other and used by the family inside, they cast incendiary spells at the old building, followed by blasting hex's.

The Weasley family had no idea what was happening until the first blasting hex hit one of the upstairs rooms, shaking the ceiling above them and showering them in dust. George rushed to the window and looked out, he could not hold back the words that escaped his mouth, "Oh shit, death has come calling. I knew we should have stuck with Dumbledore's plan, that or killed them off."

His words sent a chill of fear through the inhabitants of the house as they too rushed to look out of the windows. Their home was burning and the two people they had helped to keep prisoner, the two people they had hoped to continue using were out there looking for revenge.

As the Weasley family tried to apparate and found they could not, Arthur Weasley spoke to his family. "It looks like they have discovered our plans, we are all going to die today for what we did to those two children. Potter and Granger are the battle hardened killers that we helped to train. They will not allow a single one of us to escape, so ends the hopes of getting new blood into our bloodline. I hope you are happy now Molly, you killed our children."

Molly Weasley did not get a chance to answer her husband as the wall behind her exploded inward and practically shredded her back; she was dead before the blast had finished throwing her across the room.

Harry stood his ground outside and looking through the dust and into the house he spotted Ron. Ron who in their memory altered forced life had for twenty years pretended to be their best friend while using Hermione for his own pleasure. A surge of pure hate ran through Harry as he unleashed yet another spell. Ron Weasley died in a shower of blood as the spell blew his head apart.

Hermione ended the assault on the Weasleys when she fired an explosive incendiary spell into the heart of the kitchen where the Weasley family were gathered. The family that had used them for so many years no longer existed. She watched emotionless as the building began to fall. She then locked away the memories of her hard life with Ron. All of them were locked into the back of her mind, where they would remain until they had had their revenge on all those that had stolen their lives. Until that day she would retain those memories until allowing the Goblins to remove them.

Ten minutes later the two teens stood side by side and with one last look at the burning wreck took hold of each others hands and vanished, reappearing in the Granger back garden. It was time to find their next quarry, one who had been their cruellest and most evil task master. It was time to rid their world of Severus Tobias Snape.

Tonight they would sleep, tomorrow they would plan and soon, very soon Snape would be no more. They promised each other that he was one they would never allow to get away.

Harry and Hermione woke up together in the small bed. Both were surprised that they had not suffered from nightmares since they had escaped and married. Both stretched slowly, enjoying the comfort of the queen sized bed. After sharing a very quick kiss they climbed from the bed and together they made their way to the shower. It was two happy young people who walked into the kitchen to find the two Grangers up and ready for the day.

It was a long drive from Oxford to Huddersfield where Spinners End and Snape was. Richard Granger laughed as he thought that it ironic that the foolish magical people who had kidnapped his only child so long ago had not got the sense to use fictitious addresses when they made the false memories for the two teens.

Severus Snape was actually out in his garden when they arrived at their destination. The evil little man was busy collecting plant leaves and did not notice the tall slightly older man as he approached. He did however notice when Richard pressed a knife to his throat and commanded him to open the door.

Severus Snape was about to try for his wand when he stopped dead. The sight he saw practically froze the blood in his veins. Standing to his left were the two teens he had helped to train. The two teens he had so enjoyed torturing for the slightest reason. The fear that ran through him on seeing them without their collars made him wet him self, he knew he was going to die in a most pain filled and probably gruesome way.

On the outside Snape's house on Spinners end was silent, on the inside Snape screamed and pleaded for death as the two teens took turns in forcing potions down his throat. Neither teen even bothered to check what potions they picked up from Snape's large collection, they just kept on emptying the vials into the vile little man's mouth, watching as he writhed in agony. Once they could force nothing more into him they bound him to a chair and left him to die in agony from the over dose of mixed potions. Snape's last thought were that he wished he had never even met Albus Dumbledore or heard about his plans for an army of obedient slaves.

On the drive back Richard had to pull over as both teens were ill, both of them heaved until they could heave no more, what they had done had got their revenge but it also affected them poorly, although it would not stop them from continuing their purge of all those who had helped or had known about what Dumbledore did to them.

Two days later the Grangers and the Potters stood outside the main doors of the now empty Hogwarts castle, the very hell that the teens had been held captive in. Drawing their wands Harry and Hermione counted to three and then together they cast the fiendfyre spell into the castle. They stood and watched as the practically unstoppable fire took a good hold on the castle before they turned and walked away. There would not be a lot left of the place they had spent eight years of suffering in, when the fire had run its course.

It took them several weeks to get ready for their next target, weeks during which Richard did all he could to help. Their target was the ministry of magic who had so willingly aided their enemies by keeping the books that had started the teens bid for freedom, away from wizarding world of Britain. It was the corrupt centre of the wizarding government and it needed to be replaced.

Four stolen petrol tankers stood on the street where the phone booth entrance to the ministry was located. Each tanker was standing empty after its entire cargo had been pumped down the lift shaft in to the ministry. The ministry building was busy as usual even though the entire building was filled with a strange unknown and powerful smell. At exactly nine in the morning Harry and Hermione cast incendio spells at the phone booth. The explosion that ensued as all the vaporised petrol exploded totally destroyed the entire ministry and everyone in side. The most severely damaged area was the department of mysteries where absolutely everything was incinerated to a crisp.

That afternoon those members of the wizarding government who had not been in the ministry when it was destroyed were sought out and they too died painful deaths. Two days later the Potters and Grangers left Britain for a life in a new land as far from Britain as they could travel. Before they left the two Potters paid a visit to the Goblin facility in Greenland and had their unwanted memories completely removed. It was time to start a new life and to build them selves some happy memories.


	20. Chapter 20 Wedding at Hogwarts

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse

The golden trio were back in the castle of Hogwarts, four years after their graduation and Harry James Potter had just witnessed something he would have believed was impossible. It was the night before his two best friends wedding. Ron and Hermione were getting married at two the next day and professor McGonagall was going to be their bonder.

After taking a visit to see his friend Hagrid down in his rebuilt home out on the castle grounds, he was making his way back to the room he had been allocated, it was right next door to Ron's room so that as best man he could be on hand for the red head if he was needed. Hearing sounds from the second floor bathroom, the one where their friendship started when he saved Hermione from a Troll, he opened the door a little, hoping to make sure that his friends were doing nothing they might not want him to see.

What Harry heard turned his blood cold. Ron was towering over Hermione who was lying on the floor. "Do I have to hit you again you mudblood bitch, after tomorrow you wont be able to say no, it's a good job we're getting wed tomorrow, after that you will never be able to give me that crap about waiting till you are married. And like I've said before, don't even think of trying to run out on me, remember what I told you when you turned me down before, you will say 'I do' or your parents will be having a fatal encounter with death. Now get in your room and keep your mouth shut." Harry was going to storm into the room and save his friend but then he had a rather pleasing idea and backed away, quickly hiding himself in a dark alcove.

After watching first Hermione leave followed two minutes later by Ron, Harry stepped out of the alcove and called for his house elf Kreacher. Just seconds after his call Kreacher appeared in front of him, giving the little elf his instructions Harry had to wait just two minutes before the elf returned and handed his master the long golden chain. Harry then followed Ron up toward the Gryffindor tower where most of the Weasley family was staying and a stag party was about to start.

An hour later Harry Grinned as he watched Ron leave through the portrait hole, the simple suggestion that they could do with some food had started Ron's stomach rumbling and just a few minutes later after another hint about going to the kitchens, the tall red head was on his way to the kitchens mentioned, his famous greed having gotten the better of him.

Despite the party atmosphere in the tower everyone heard the scream of fear that rang through the castle, the Weasley men all rushed for the common room exit and Harry checked his watch then followed. As the Weasleys in front of him scrambled through the hole Harry paused and started his time turner in motion and vanished from sight. Just a second later he reappeared a few feet behind where he had been and hurriedly shoved the small vial he had turned into a portkey into his pocket. Rushing to the portrait hole he pushed at Percy Weasley to get him to hurry up.

…

Harry appeared in the empty common room two hours in the past, just in time to see himself step out of the portrait hole on his way to visit Hagrid. Turning he headed up to the room he was using and quickly grabbed a rather large knee length woolly sock he used to keep his legs warm when flying his broom and shoved it into one of his robe pockets. Pulling out his always carried invisibility cloak he draped it over himself and stepped out of the portrait hole following himself down toward Hagrid's.

At the back of Hagrid's home Harry half filled the sock with damp sand and then tied a knot to prevent the sand escaping. Making his way back into the castle he made himself comfortable hidden in the shadows outside the second floor bathroom, he watched first himself enter and leave the toilet then shortly after Hermione. Two minutes later Ron left and made his way to the Gryffindor tower. Harry waited for Hermione to leave the bathroom and watched to see her enter the Ravenclaw tower where all the women were gathered to have their party. Hermione being the guest of honour there would be no one to doubt that she was in the tower when Ron was dealt out his justice.

Knowing that Hermione was with the women for the party to celebrate her last night as a single woman, Harry then made his way to the seventh floor and chose a place to get comfortable and wait for Ron to appear. While waiting he wondered just how long had Hermione been forced into the relationship with Ron? How long ago was it since he had first threatened her parents? When did he start to hit the only woman that Harry ever loved? How often had he hit her? His anger rose with each unanswered question and his resolve to prevent their marriage was strengthened, but as the minutes dragged by Harry's idea of simply ruining Ron's ability of ever enjoying a woman or producing children changed. He could imagine the red head taking out his problem on Hermione as evidenced by his recent behaviour; it took a short time to decide Ron should go to visit Voldemort in hell.

Finally the portrait hole opened and Harry prepared himself. A tipsy Ron stepped out of the portrait hole and made his way toward the stairs. To Ron the heavy sock filled with damp sand seemed to come from nowhere and it slammed into Ron's stomach knocking the wind out of him and knocking him to the floor. As Ron lay dazed wondering what had happened, the appearance of Harry's head hovering over him scared the heck out of him.

"Hello Ron, so glad you could keep our appointment, oh don't worry so much my friend," Harry said seeing the fear in the read heads face "I'll not keep you from your appointment with death. You made a fatal error hitting Hermione where you could be seen and heard, and threatening my friends Richard and Helen, well that was stupid too, beyond stupid especially when you know I'm good friends with the Grangers."

While talking Harry had kept an eye on the moving staircases. "Time to meet your maker Weasley." he said while grabbing a still gasping Ron's hair and dragging him the few feet to where the stairs would have been two minutes before. The wet sock hit Ron just below the bottom of his ribcage which made him jerk into a sitting position; Harry lifted his foot and shoved Ron over the edge. It was seven floors later when Ron's rapid decent came to a halt.

Harry still under his cloak sprinted the few yards to the room of requirement corridor as the scream Ron made while falling filled the castle. Once inside the corridor he created a portkey and at the right time he said the activation word and vanished in a swirl.

Harry reached the stone guard rail at the same time as Percy and together they looked over to see what the other Weasleys were looking at. Down at the base of the stairs lying in a pool of his own blood was Ron, it was apparent even from seven floors up that he was dead.

Aurors were called and an investigation held into Ron's death. The verdict was that it was an accidental death probably caused by Ron being slightly intoxicated had tried to jump onto the moving stairs and fell to his death. His injuries were all consistent with the theory and there was no further investigation.

Three months later Harry had been invited to dinner at the Grangers by Hermione who had moved back home from the Burrow the day after Ron died. As they sat eating their food Harry watched them and as they all placed their knives and forks on their finished with plates he decided this was the right time to start the conversation he had put off for what seemed to him such a long time.

As Hermione started to stand to gather the dishes up Harry gave a small cough. "Hermione could you sit down a moment, I have something to say."

Hermione looked at her best friend who happened to be the man she was truly in love with and nodded to him. Harry nodded back and then began to say what he had planned to say.

"Hermione if when I have finished speaking you no longer wish to associate with me I will understand and you just need to say so… Now Richard what would you do if you were in love with someone who was being forced into a marriage under the threat of the death of her parents, what would you do if you actually witnessed some of the intimidation first hand?" Harry asked.

Richard did not even take a second to think of his answer "I'd kill the bastard doing it, that's what I would do."

"Well that was what I did three months ago. I killed Ron Weasley after seeing him the night before the wedding; he was in the second floor girls bathroom and was towering over Hermione having obviously hit her and saying that if she tried to back out of the wedding he would have the two of you killed, he also said he had made this threat before which made me conclude that Hermione was forced into the relationship with him. I have spent the past three months keeping watch on you to ascertain that you are now safe. I don't think his threat was an empty one but I do think that who ever this junior death eater or who ever is supposed to kill you is supposed to be, he or she is not willing to take the risk now that the Weasel has suffered from a fatal accident.

I'm sorry if you think I was in the wrong in killing him, but I was not willing to allow the woman I love to live her life like that. I was unable to kill him instantly like I wanted to do, I needed Hermione to be seen in a completely different part of the castle so that she could not be implicated in the death if I cocked it up in some way, so I used my family time turner which works slightly different to a standard time turner, I went back in time a couple of hours… oh well you don't need the details." Harry said fully expecting the Granger family to throw him from their home.

Hermione gasped and her hand shot to her mouth, slowly through her hand she began to speak, "It wasn't a death eater Harry, Molly and Ginny were in on it. They threatened to kill mum and dad and make it look like a death eater had killed them, they said they could do it at anytime that Ron was somewhere like the Leaky Cauldron where he would have loads of witnesses and no one would believe me if I said it was him. They kept saying that they needed fresh blood in their line so they could stop the inbreeding. Apparently Ginny is Molly and Bills daughter, Molly wanted a little girl and Arthur just kept producing boys. We… that is you and me are supposed to be that new blood."

Harry and Richard simply sat and stared at her, both of them looking furious. Harry managed to calm enough to speak almost three minutes after Hermione told them. "Ok, so the Weasleys have signed their own death warrants, I'm going to kill every one of them, not just for what they did to you, but for all the filthy lies as well. So when did this start, how long have they been coercing you into the relationship?"

"Since the holidays after our fifth year, I'm sorry Harry I couldn't tell you, I was so afraid of them and what they might do." Hermione said tears starting to run down her cheeks.

Harry turned to Richard, "So what say the Weasleys suffer an accident?"

Richard still angry at what his only child had been through asked Harry what he had in mind. The three Grangers and Harry sat late into the night working out a plan to rid the world of the Weasleys.

Four days later Harry and Hermione entered the Burrow kitchen hand in hand. Sitting at the table eating their evening meal were Arthur, Percy, Molly and Ginny. Harry looked at them with a sort of blank expression, looked each of them in the eye and then spoke "Evening Weasleys, we're here to let you know that Hermione and I are getting married in a week's time."

Molly was the first to react as she stood and began to shout something that was never heard. As she stood the kitchen window shattered and at practically the same time the side of Molly's head exploded. Blood and brains covered the Weasley family. Before any of the Weasleys could react to what had happened Harry pulled out a snub nosed revolver and Percy flew backward from his chair, a bullet lodged inside his head.

Hermione had pulled out a similar revolver from her pocket and shot Ginny right between her eyes.

Arthur looked around horrified at what had happened to his family, while at the same time trying to reach for his wand.

Harry shot him in the shoulder to stop him. "Arthur Weasley, I am honour bound by wizarding law to inform you that I have declared blood feud on your family for what they did to Hermione, my fiancée. Ron, Molly, Ginny and other members of your family forced Hermione into a relationship with Ron under the threat of having my good friends Helen and Richard Granger murdered. Under the same threat of killing her parents Hermione was made to suffer beatings and indignities at the hands of your wife and the three of your children that are now dead for their crimes. I am truly sorry Arthur but as you know a blood feud calls on me to eliminate the entire Weasley clan. Goodbye Arthur."

Harry stood up and turned his back on the shocked man that Harry had once thought of as a father figure, together with Hermione they walked toward the door. They heard the crack of a rifle and the sound of Arthur falling to the ground as they stepped out of the Burrow. There were four more Weasleys left alive that day, by the time Harry and Hermione married there would be none.

Harry and Hermione were quite surprised when Fleur, Bill's wife turned up for their wedding. They were even more surprised to find her thanking them. She too had been forced into marrying a Weasley through the same threats, and the child she was carrying would now have the name of Delacour.

There was another surprise for the two soon to be newly weds when there was a huge celebration in the centre of Diagon Alley, to celebrate the deaths of two of the worst bullies that Hogwarts had ever known.

The Potters never got to even see Charlie Weasley as he was killed in a freak accident in the Dragon pens where he worked, none of his co-workers mourned his passing.

Without the huge Weasley family to worry about, Minerva McGonagall and her team of professors gave a sigh of relief; there was no longer a chance of another set of Weasley twins attending their school. Without the Weasleys it seemed a slightly happier world for those who had known them. It was a far happier world for the Potter family.

...


	21. Chapter 21 Thanks Minerva 21

16

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

Thanks Minerva.

Harry James Potter stormed into the kitchen of number 12 Grimmauld place and demanded that Remus Lupin took him back to the home of his aunt and uncle, who were the Dursleys. They lived at number 4 privet drive. A place he usually could not wait to escape from, because his aunt, uncle and cousin hated him. "There is no way I am staying in this house," he declared loudly.

Remus Lupin, and Molly Weasley tried to talk to him but he was adamant about his decision to leave Grimmauld place. After several minutes of arguing Remus agreed with Harry's demands and returned him to his Aunts home. Following Harry up to his tiny room Remus tried to get Harry to tell him about this sudden change of mind. "After all you hate living here," Remus said as he asked once more why Harry would want to return after only a few minutes at Grimmauld, Harry refused to answer for several minutes and simply lay down on his broken bed with his hands behind his head.

"After the way I have been treated by your lot this summer the whole lot of you can bugger off, and you can tell that senile old shit I quit his dumb school. Now leave me alone. At least here I know why the dregs of humanity I live with choose to ignore me." Harry finally said with a quiet anger in his voice.

"Harry you can't mean that. What about your friends? What about Ron and Hermione?" Remus asked, taking note of how angry Harry was.

"What friends? If you mean those who have been writing to me for the past six weeks, answering my letters and offering the help I needed, and almost begged for while been kept locked up and starved here at my dear aunts house then I don't have any friends. Don't bang the door on your way out Mr Lupin," Harry said as he rolled to face away from Remus.

Ten minutes later Remus gave up trying to get Harry to see reason and sadly left the room to make his way back to Grimmauld place.

Meanwhile back at number 12 Grimmauld place Hermione Jane Granger entered the kitchen. "Mrs Weasley, has Harry arrived yet? She asked the older woman who was cooking their dinner.

"Oh! Hello Hermione dear. who? Harry? Oh yes he arrived about half an hour ago," Molly said distractedly as she rushed around the large kitchen collecting things she needed to use for dinner.

"Well he's not up in his room, did he go to the library do you know?" Hermione asked as Mrs Weasley started the dishes washing them selves in the sink.

"Oh no dear, when he arrived I sent him up to you and Ron, but he came back just a minute or two later and demanded to be returned to his aunts place. Remus took him there about twenty minutes ago," Molly said as she waved her wand at the large cooker and started some pans boiling.

Hermione's face had just turned very pale when Remus walked into the room "I'm sorry Molly I was unable to change his mind," Remus declared as he reached the table "I'll need to floo Albus to arrange for a guard to be put on the Dursleys house again."

"Remus, did Harry say why he wanted to go back to those awful people?" Hermione asked as the tired and worried looking ex-professor sat down.

"No, sorry Hermione. One thing I do know, I have never seen Harry so angry. He was absolutely furious about something but he wouldn't say what, he just said 'After the way I have been treated by your lot this summer the whole lot of you can bugger off'," he told her and shrugged his shoulders "something in this house really upset him and I don't have a single clue as to what. Oh when I mentioned his friends he said if I meant those friends who had written to him for the past few weeks then he didn't have any friends, why he should say that I don't know."

Hermione thought about what had happened at about the same time Harry had arrived and she knew why Harry had stormed out of the house in anger, or as Remus had said feeling furious about something.

_She had just told Ron about Harry writing a letter asking her to be his girlfriend and she had complained that Dumbledore had ordered her not to write to Harry in answer, "So as soon as he arrives I shall grab him and kiss him and tell him yes," she had told the red head. _

_Ron with a look of hate and jealousy had grabbed her and said "like this," he then kissed her before she could stop him, his hands wandering to her most private areas. She had been angry with Ron for taking such liberties with her and she let him know in no uncertain terms._

_After telling Ron off with a fierce knee to the groin and a slap to his face that loosened his teeth, she had gone down stairs to ask about Harry, only to find he had been there and had left. _

She had known instantly from what Molly told her why he had left and she cursed herself for listening to Dumbledore and not writing to Harry.

During his stay at number 4, Harry had written several times to Ron and Hermione, the first three letters to Hermione he had enquired how she was feeling after the injury she suffered at the ministry of magic. The last two of those first three letters he had asked if she would be interested in being his girlfriend, but he had not received an answer. What letter he did get was passed to him from Tonks, it was basically a short little note that said absolutely nothing that interested him or told him anything except Ron and Hermione were together somewhere. He remembered the only pathetic attempt at a letter he had received that summer.

'_Harry mate, can't say much because Dumbledore told us not too write to you in case the owls were followed, we are all ok at snuffles place, see you soon. Ron and Hermione._'

That was all there was in the one note he did receive and he had not been happy about being told nothing, he had been annoyed that Hermione had not given him an answer, and he was annoyed at Ron for the stupid note he sent with nothing worth reading in it, and he was truly annoyed that they were together while he was held prisoner at number four.

By the time Nymphadora Tonks had arrived at number four to watch over Harry he was gone, and he had left no trace of where he had gone. Tonks arrived back at Grimmauld place to find everyone eating dinner in the kitchen. Her news that Harry was gone without trace was enough for Hermione to stand and filled with anger she slapped Albus Dumbledore across his face "You stupid senile old bastard, Isolating Harry after all he has been through drove him over the edge. If anything happens to him because of your stupidity I'll bloody kill you myself." She yelled before running up to her room and collapsing on her bed for a good cry.

Before Dumbledore could recover from the shock of a slap to his face from Miss Granger, he found two wands at his throat. Remus Lupin had an almost death like grip on the front of his robes as he was dragged from his chair. The voice he heard come from the usually placid werewolf almost made him wet him self. "What have you done fool?" Remus question was accompanied by several other voices that asked "What did she mean 'Isolated'?"

Fred Weasley who was sat watching all that was happening spoke up "Whisker face there ordered us all not to write to Harry, and not to contact him in any way, said that Harry needed to be completely alone to grieve over Sirius just as he had us not to write after Diggory's death."

Minerva McGonagall having heard Fred removed her wand from the throat of an old fool who had finally made one mistake to many with the son of her friend Lily, she made her way up to the room Hermione and Ginny were using. Opening the door she found her favourite student sobbing into her pillow. "Hermione, what is it child? Do you know why Harry has run away?" she asked sympathetically.

Hermione hearing professor McGonagall took in a deep shuddering breath before she answered. "Yes… it's Dumbledore and that stupid Weasleys fault."

Fifteen minutes later Minerva McGonagall led Hermione into the kitchen. Albus Dumbledore was lying unconscious on the floor, his nose obviously broken yet again as it was at an unusual angle the blood was still running freely and everyone else was talking about how to help Harry. A quick glance around and she saw the man she wanted, "Kingsley I want Mr Ronald Weasley arrested for a sexual assault on Miss Granger, and if Dumbledore or the Weasleys dare to try and pull that pureblood shit, charge the disgusting animal with sexually assaulting the betrothed of the lord to an ancient and noble house," she growled while glaring at Molly Weasley.

If Minerva McGonagall could get her way and finally be rid of the stupid student who through his idleness and lack of ability was holding up the education of his entire year by taking weeks to learn what should be learned in days, then she was willing to do all she could to have him out of Hogwarts.

After isolating a boy who they all knew needed help with his grief from those he loved, a boy who had witnessed his friend's death one year ago and his godfathers death just a few weeks ago Albus Dumbledore could go fly a kite as far as she was concerned, and his completely stupid reason for keeping the Weasleys at the school, well that he could shove where ever monkeys kept their nuts. She did not see why having the Weasleys in the order was more important than stopping the bullying of the twins or ridding the school of a retarded student who should never have remained after his first few weeks.

Just a few minutes later Ron found him self being dragged from his room and into the kitchen where a rather large and angry crowd of witches and wizards were waiting.

Minerva glared at him for a few seconds, "Mr Weasley what have you to say for your self after what you did to Miss Granger?" she asked the anger in her voice quite evident.

"What? I haven't done anything, what are you on about?" Ron answered a truly puzzled look on his face.

"See my Ronnie did nothing, he just said so." Molly chimed in.

Minerva once again glared at the stupid Weasley matriarch. "I have examined Miss Granger's memories and I can assure you that your son sexually assaulted her."

Ron as stupid as normal looked at the professor, "Well she was on about being Harry's girlfriend, she belongs to me not him. I just let her know how it was with a kiss… and well maybe I did grope her a little, but she hit me for that, so next time I decide to take what's mine I shall have to teach her some of our ways, and not to hit her betters. She needs to be more polite to us purebloods and do as she is told."

Ron stood there with no idea he had just condemned himself to a charge of sexually assaulting the betrothed of a lord and head of a noble and ancient house. Every witch in the room wanted to do far worse to him than Hermione had done after hearing his words, after all it was bigotry like that they were all fighting against. Even his mother Molly could not believe that her own son was talking like a Malfoy.

While all this was going on Hermione was wondering why Minerva was calling her Harry's betrothed, surely she would know about it if her parents had signed a betrothal contract wouldn't she?

What she did not know was that Minerva had an idea quickly develop in her mind and a little later that night there would be a betrothal contract between her and Harry backdated and signed by their magical guardian Albus Dumbledore. One copy would, with some help from an odd little elf be placed in Harry's Gringotts vault, and another would be placed in each of their files at Hogwarts, and one would find its way into the ministry files. Minerva McGonagall signing Albus's signature had never been questioned once since Minerva started to sign all the school related documents for him almost forty years before when he taught her how to copy his magical signature.

Harry who had been sent to the local shops to buy the Dursleys fish and chip supper lay on his bed and began to wonder if he had been a bit hasty in leaving Grimmauld place, he would at least get something to eat there. He had absolutely no idea that Tonks had been and had taken Dudley's words of "Potter's not here!" as meaning Harry had left. It never entered her mind that the obese fool could simply mean Harry was out at the shop.

Ten am the following morning several things were happening at the same time. In the ministry of magic Arthur and Molly Weasley were watching a pensieve memory of their son Ron shoving his hand down inside the front of Hermione's jeans and kissing her while she struggled to push him away. In the office next door Kingsley Shacklebolt along with Amelia Bones, head of law enforcement was examining the betrothal contract between Harry James Potter and Hermione Jane Granger that was kept in the ministry files and they both declared it legal and binding.

Albus Dumbledore was waking up in the secure ward of St Mungo's, he had been placed there for assessment after being brought in by several rather angry people who had all made declarations that he was mentally damaged and thought he was god.

Harry Potter was just unrolling his copy of the Daily Prophet, the headlines of which declared **Heir Apparent to the Potter Lordship, Harry Potter's betrothed sexually assaulted by Potter's best Mate**. Harry having no idea he was betrothed read the article, the few details were rather sketchy but he put two and two together and actually came up with four. He and Hermione were betrothed and Weasley had harmed her in some way.

Hermione was sitting in the head masters office at Hogwarts with her favourite professor examining a betrothal contract between her and Harry, apparently having been drawn up just after she and Harry had rescued Sirius Black, and signed by Sirius and her magical guardian Albus Dumbledore. There was a huge smile on her face as she thought of getting married to Harry when he turned seventeen.

Arthur Weasley led his distraught wife out of the room they were in and entered Shacklebolt's office, there they were shown the now legally accepted betrothal contract. Molly Weasley was almost wailing as she saw all her hopes and dreams for her two youngest children smashed by a simple piece of parchment.

Arthur was truly hurt knowing he had brought a person like Ron who would do such a thing to his best friend, into the world, and he had no idea what to do. He knew that Ron was bound to be severely punished, probably far more than he would have been had Hermione not been betrothed to the Wizarding worlds saviour.

Even when he was told that Hermione was betrothed to Harry, Ron who was being held in one of the ministry holding cells, simply could not work out what he had done wrong, as far as he was concerned she could not be betrothed to Potter because he him self had declared his ownership of the muggle born witch when he revealed his jealousy during the Yule Ball, so he thought he was quite entitled to do as he wished with her.

Minerva was a little amused as not a single person had questioned the contract once they saw Dumbledore's name, they did not even seem to consider Sirius name as even remotely relevant, she wondered for a short time why the entire magical population had allowed one man to hold so much power over their lives without ever questioning it. Happy that her rapidly thought up and executed plan had worked, she chose to keep her thoughts to her self and not to rock the boat just yet.

At number four Privet Drive Harry was getting rather hungry, he had not even been able to scrounge any left over's from the fish and chips the previous night and had once again gone to bed on an empty stomach. He had not been given any breakfast either and thoughts of all the food at Grimmauld place that Mrs Weasley was preparing when he left kept flitting through his mind. He pulled out a piece of parchment from his broken desk and scribbled a quick note to Hermione asking her if she could send him some food as the Dursleys were once again starving him. As Hedwig left Harry hoped that she reached Hermione.

Hedwig his faithful familiar took the letter and left to deliver it as quick as she could, heading toward Hogwarts where Hermione was spending the day getting over the assault by Ron. She was spending the day, day dreaming of weddings and wedding dresses. And getting married to Harry, which according to her transfiguration professor and head of house could be quite soon, because she was going to see to it that Harry did what Dumbledore has so far prevented him from doing, visit Gringotts and claim his inheritance as soon as she could find him, and as head of the Potter house he would need a wife.

Hermione sitting out under her favourite beech tree was quite surprised when Hedwig landed on her shoulder bringing her out of a day dream about her and Harry playing in the park with their three children. Taking the note from Harry's familiar and reading it she turned to look at the beautiful owl on her shoulder and asked "Is Harry still at the Dursleys?"

Hedwig nodded her head to let Hermione know that he was indeed at the Dursleys. "Okay Hedwig dear, you go and tell that man of ours that I will see him soon." With another nod of her head letting the young woman know she understood Hedwig took to the wing and headed back to her best friend Harry.

Hermione was chuckling as she entered McGonagall's office and handed over the note. The thought of all those members of the order running around trying to find Harry when he was exactly where he was supposed to be making her chuckle. The note also brought a chuckle from Minerva who called for Dobby the house elf and gave him instructions to take Harry a large lunch and inform him that she and his betrothed would call to collect him that afternoon. "Oh and Dobby tell him to dress in the best of those rags the Dursleys provide for him."

Professor McGonagall was thinking about getting Harry and Hermione married as quick as she could, she wanted them married and out of Dumbledore's reach before he was able to talk his way out of St Mungo's. She being a magical did not think it odd or wrong that the two should marry so young, as far as the magical world was concerned the head of a family could get married at the age of twelve, his bride could be any age if there was a betrothal contract, no other permissions were needed and as they were sixteen they should be ready for that stage of their life. She was hoping that the two teens would actually agree to be bonded that very afternoon, if she could get Hermione to look beyond her muggle upbringing.

Albus Dumbledore could not believe what was happening to him, he was in a locked ward with magic suppressing handcuffs on and the more he demanded his freedom, declaring quite loudly and more than a little indignantly "Do you know who I am? I am Albus Dumbledore the most powerful wizard alive," the more he was being restrained. All he was doing as far as his healers were concerned was verifying what the people who had brought him in had said about him. Albus Dumbledore seemed to think he was a god or some such being.

Dumbledore's healers were almost as old as he was and they were as equally ignorant of the real world and what was happening as the old head master appeared to be. They sat in one of the more luxurious offices and discussed if the headmaster was still capable of running a school with the attitude he had, was the old gentleman actually competent enough to even look after him self. One of the healers was worried that their patient seemed to be proving he thought himself some form of deity and might actually do something stupid like starve him self thinking that the gods did not need food. They concluded their discussion by deciding that the old man would be kept in restraints until such time his illness could be fully diagnosed. They would ask him at the week end what god he thought he was, and why he thought he had god like power over ordinary people.

Amelia Bones sat in her office thinking, something about Harry Potter being betrothed was bothering her and so far she had not been able to get any of his files released due to the head of the Wizengamot having had everything but the betrothal sealed. What was bothering her was that Harry was living at a muggle address, when in fact a betrothed Lord apparent should be getting trained in his duties as a lord and as a head of house from the age of eleven, and to do that he needed to be living in the wizarding world in his family home.

Knowing that one of her officers was a member of Dumbledore's private little army she sent for Nymphadora Tonks. Tonks entered her bosses office with a little fear, her boss was known as a formidable woman who would take no nonsense from anyone, Tonks worried as she tried to think what she might have done wrong.

"Ah, Dora, come in sit down," Amelia said smiling, "Now what can you tell me about this… where is it, ah yes here, so what can you tell me about this house, number four Privet Drive?"

Tonks drew in a breath rather sharply, not knowing what to do, what would the old fool do when he got out and discovered that the ministry knew where Harry lived. Trying to put that worry away Dora Tonks decided to tell all she knew about the place Harry Potter lived in. Her description of Harry Potter's life with his family was not a very pleasant one and she could almost see the steam coming from her boss's ears as she disclosed the way Harry was treated since she had joined the order a few months earlier.

Twenty minutes later minister for magic Cornelius Fudge almost ran from Amelia Bones office, the huge smile on his face would on an ordinary person be a deep frown or a look of anger, but Cornelius had just heard a tale about Potter that he was positive would bring down that arrogant old head master who thought he had a god given right to interfere in things. Reaching his office and puffing quite hard Cornelius grabbed some floo powder, threw it in his fire place and called out "Number 10."

While Cornelius was carrying out his part of things Amelia was issuing arrest warrants for a whole group of the order of the phoenix which was Albus Dumbledore's private little army. The people who had for years kept Harry Potter a prisoner at Privet drive.

Minerva and Hermione arrived at number four Privet drive and made their way to the front door. Dressed in her finest clothes Minerva was looking rather regal as the door opened to reveal Vernon Dursley. "Good afternoon, I am Lady McGonagall and I am here to see Lord Potter," Minerva said in a voice that almost had Vernon standing to attention. She intended to have some fun with this evil vile muggle and she was going to enjoy it.

The flustered Vernon bowed several times as best he could considering the amount of flab and fat that made up his vast bulk. "Welcome to my humble home My Lady, come in, I'll fetch the freak, I mean the boy for you." He blustered not actually catching on to the word 'lord' that Minerva had said, he had never had a real live aristocrat visit his home before and he was too busy picturing meetings with lords and lady's and royalty as he became friendly with the obviously regal woman.

Hermione only just managed to hold in her temper as the whale in front of her called Harry a freak as if it were a normal name for someone. She determined she would be returning to this house one day in the future to teach the whale some manners.

Harry was totally shocked when there was a polite knock on his door and Vernon asked, actually asked if he could come in. Vernon entered the room before he could answer though and showed his nephew that he had not really miraculously changed, so there had to be another reason for his unusual show of manners.

"Get down stairs boy you have a visitor, and you had best be on your best behaviour. The Lady down there is not one of your freaks, so I want no signs of 'it' or bad manners at all or you will suffer for it when they leave." Vernon growled out as he snarled and then sneered at Harry.

Harry got up from his bed where he had been sitting, it being the only available thing to sit on in his dilapidated room. Making his way down stairs his huge uncle straining the steps behind him Harry was surprised to see professor McGonagall and his best friend and according to the prophet his betrothed, had arrived already. Seeing his professor giving him a slight wink he decided to play along to see where things were going.

"Good afternoon ma'am, miss," Harry said holding back a laugh that wanted to escape.

"Good afternoon Lord Potter, I am Lady McGonagall of clan McGonagall, with me I have the future Lady Potter. We are here to carry out the required introduction of your lordship to his betrothed. Now my lord if you are ready we will leave here and visit your mansion. The Lady Hermione will of course accompany us. But first might I ask my lord why is it you are wearing the gardeners used cleaning cloth's, surely your guardians will not allow a peer of the realm to wear such disgusting rags out in public? I swear your cousin the Queen would not be happy at all with such people," Minerva asked her face as stern as he had ever seen it.

Harry bit his tongue a little before he answered, "I am afraid My Lady that my guardian Mr Dursley has refused to purchase new clothes for me for as long as I can remember… I seem to remember him saying that it would take the food from his plate wasting money on the likes of a freak like my self."

Minerva turned to look at the now pale Vernon, "Surely lord Potter you jest, from what I can see of the man he has sufficient excess fat to live for a good year without the need for food, mayhap if he were not the size of a giant killer whale, and did not eat enough food at one meal for several normal families he would have had sufficient funds to purchase an entire wardrobe for you each year. Well we must worry on that another day, for now you need to spend time getting to know your betrothed. I just hope your cousin does nothing too drastic."

Minerva turned to glare at Vernon "You sir shall be hearing from me again, now be gone from my sight you detestable being." She said with an icy chill in her voice that would have scared Voldemort.

Harry could hold it no longer as they walked out of the house, looking back at Vernon he laughed as he called over his shoulder, "They are short of killer whales at the safari park, why don't you and Dudley go and offer to stand in for a couple."

As soon as they stepped out of number four Hermione took hold of Harry's hand, before they had reached the public road she pulled him into a chaste kiss and then said "Yes Harry, I'll be your girlfriend, oh and do you know what? Ron got locked up. The smelly cretin grabbed me and kissed me said I belong to him, that he had claimed me as his property. He is in so much trouble for what he did."

Harry holding her hand gave it a squeeze, "Oh he is in far more trouble than he knows, I read the prophet about him assaulting you, I want to know exactly what he did before I sort him out."

Minerva watched the young couple as they got reacquainted after their six week separation and she had no doubts that her plan was going to work out just fine. Clearing her throat she gained their attention, "Harry, Hermione as you are now both aware you two are betrothed, and I would like to suggest that the two of you complete your bonding as soon as possible, preferably today or very early tomorrow. The reason for my suggestion is for the two of you to be able to be free of that old fool Dumbledore before he can get out of the mental ward at St Mungo's, if the bond is not complete before that time he would be able to and no doubt would declare the betrothal void.

After a little nosing in his office I know for a fact that he intends to eventually force Harry to marry Miss Weasley. I don't know for sure but I think he had plans to give you to Ronald Weasley, Hermione. Weasley's belief that you belong to him adds to my suspicions of our esteemed headmaster. I don't know why but he wants your influence in Harry's life ended. As your magical guardian, once free he could carry out his plans and no one would be able to stop him. Being bonded will remove his control of you, as you will both become emancipated fully adult witch and wizard. Harry he has been actively preventing you from claiming your heritage, I discovered this a few days ago and Mr Weasley's actions gave me this chance to correct things."

Using a port key Minerva took the two teens to an alley near the Leaky Cauldron in London. She then led the way in to Diagon Alley and to Gringotts Bank where she asked to see the Potter estate manager.

"Er Hermione, this bonding thing, it's like a magical wedding right?" Harry asked as they made their way through the bank.

"Yes Harry love, it's a wedding, why don't you want to marry me?" she asked in return.

"Oh it's not that, I think the idea of being your husband brilliant, it's just well… don't you want your folks here? You know for the wedding." He said quietly worried in case he had offended her.

"Harry we don't need, nor would I ask them for their permission. Do you have any idea why I spend so much time during the holidays with you or at the Burrow with all the Weasleys? My dear sweet parents all but disowned me when professor McGonagall visited to tell them I'm a witch. When I do spend time at home I rarely see them, they tend to stay away from the evil witch as much as they can, they much prefer to be at their office. Their only visit to Diagon Alley proved to them that wizards are all evil," Hermione told him quietly.

Harry had had no idea that Hermione's parents were like that, though he had heard of and actually knew muggles that were like his Aunt and Uncle, people who thought that all magic and both witches and wizards were in league with the devil. He had heard some horrific tales where a witch's parent had given their own children up during the many witch hunts over the centuries. He had thought though that those days were now long gone and would not be returning but he realised that he was wrong, his own family were not just an isolated case. His own family would give him up in a heart beat if they thought he would be burnt at the stake, seems Hermione's parents are somewhat the same.

Harry, Hermione and Minerva were rather suspicious when his estate manager seemed rather angry with Harry being there, they became even more so when he was obviously not willing to answer their questions and kept avoiding giving a straight answer. After only ten minutes with him and having had no co-operation Minerva led the two teens from the office after making an appointment with the surly Goblin for the following afternoon.

As soon as they reached the vast lobby of the building Minerva led them to the nearest vacant teller station. A rather ancient looking Goblin looked down on them and asked if he could help. Minerva gave the Goblin what in human terms would have been a grimace but the Goblin saw it as a smile. "Yes good teller, if we could have a few minutes time with a senior member of this fine institution, we would like to discuss some anomalies with Lord Potter's account keeper."

Harry had never seen an angry Goblin before and it made him and Hermione take a step back when the Goblin snarled and practically growled. Getting down from his high chair the Goblin led them to an office at the far end of the lobby then ushered them in and called out something in gobbledegook.

It took just a few seconds for a rather powerful looking Goblin to enter the room from another room. Together the three humans described their visit to the Potter estate manager, once finished they were given some refreshments and asked to wait for a few minutes.

Fifteen minutes had passed when the Goblin returned and offered an apology for taking so long. "It would seem Lord Potter that the former Goblin in charge of your estate was in the pay of one Albus Dumbledore. His goal was to prevent your acquisition of your estates until the human Dumbledore allowed it. Your former manager has been replaced and your new manager and a full team of accountants are even as we speak going over all records of the past sixteen years."

The Goblin who informed them he was called 'Greyone' asked Harry about his history so far and the four of them sat to discuss Harry's life. It had been difficult for Harry to reveal his life at Privet drive with Hermione listening but once that part was over Harry had felt somehow relieved of a very heavy burden and had a rather enjoyable conversation until eight Goblin's arrived, all carrying large ledgers. The tallest who also seemed to be the senior of the team that entered asked for permission to speak freely.

"Lord Potter, what do you know of a Miss Ginevra Weasley?" he asked.

Harry looked a little puzzled as he thought about the question, "Well she is the sister to a former friend but in truth I barely know the girl. Why do you ask?"

"If you would bear with me for a short time… Next might I ask when you signed the permissions to allow Mrs M. A. Weasley access to your money and property?"

Harry once again looked at the Goblin with a puzzled expression, "Mrs Weasley, once again I barley know her… I mean I stayed at their home a few weeks, maybe four and a half or five weeks in total since I started Hogwarts, that time there was spent mostly with the Weasley boy's. I don't know why I would have any reason to allow a woman I barely know into my personal belongings, so I can tell you right now I never gave her permission to access my vault."

"I thought that would be the case, now if you will just excuse me one moment while I speak with Greyone…" the Goblin said then turned to look at the most senior Goblin in the room. "I think we have some odd circumstances that would seem to reveal a fraud in progress. According to these ledgers, at the age of sixteen, Miss Ginevra Weasley will become eligible to access all Potter vaults without restriction; Mrs M Weasley has free access to amounts up to 1000 galleons a month. All Weasley Hogwarts fees are paid for from the main Potter vault annually. All these conditions have been in place since January first 1982.

Each permission was signed by both A. P. W. B. Dumbledore and the former estate manager Fasthand, and of course the Weasley's. Oh yes there is also an allowance with no limit for some organisation called the order of the phoenix. Total loss so far to the Potter estate has been 11 million galleons, and a large amount of historic and personal property, and oddly sixteen portraits and one phoenix."

Harry was furious that people he trusted could talk and joke with him while behind his back they were robbing him of his inheritance. "Mr Greyone sir, would it be possible to reclaim all that has been taken from the Potter family, the money itself means little to me personally, but that property and money is my inheritance and the inheritance of our children and grandchildren. If it can be done I would be willing to pay for your services."

"It will be done My Lord, we will perform the reclaim ritual this very day. Whether we are able to reclaim all the monies… I can't say but we will try." Greyone answered.

"In the muggle world they send people to claim the possessions and property of the criminals," Hermione said quietly.

"As do we My Lady." Was the answer she got along with a look that told her the Goblins were going to enjoy getting Harry's things back.

Twenty five minutes later Amelia Bones arrived and was handed Goblin arrest warrants for Dumbledore and the entire Weasley family, along with the evidence of their crimes. With her she had the minister who was in a far too happy mood at the thought of what the Goblin's would do to his rival and probably most powerful enemy Dumbledore.

Harry and Hermione agreed to hold their bonding ceremony that day and Minerva arranged for Amelia and the minister to carry it out for them in an office of the bank. Tonks and three other of the Aurors that accompanied Amelia and the minister were there as witnesses to the very simple marriage ceremony, and the declared emancipation of the newly wed Potter couple.

Using a portkey obtained from one of the four Potter vaults the two teens said goodbye to the minister, Amelia Bones, and their deputy headmistress and left to visit Potter mansion and while there carry out the consummation of their bonding. Amelia stayed with the Goblins to discuss the reclaiming of the stolen Potter funds and a large list of artefacts and other personal property. By the end of the week the Weasley family would all be homeless and more than penniless as all their lands and possessions were to be confiscated by the DMLE and handed over to the Potter estate manager for sale.

Albus Dumbledore was finally released from the hospital on the Sunday, stepping out of the reception of St Mungo's he found himself once more grabbed and wearing magic suppression handcuffs. This time it was not Remus Lupin who had grabbed him, but was several Goblins. He was informed that his lands and possessions had been confiscated and the Goblin that did the talking wore a large toothy expression as he told the old man that he need not worry, he would not need money in the Goblin tunnels where he was to spend the rest of his life.

Vernon Dursley was still watching the three freaks as they walked down Privet drive, he was so pleased to see the back of them disappear around the corner. Turning to walk back into the house he was shocked to see two police cars and a large black van screech to a halt out side his home. He was still wondering what was happening when the team of armed police officers who had all swarmed out from the back of the van surrounded them.

A tall and well built officer stepped up and read out from a sheet of paper. "Vernon Geoffrey Dursley, Authorized by the PM, I have here an arrest warrant on charges of kidnap and illegal detention of a peer of the realm…"

Vernon stopped listening as other officers ran into his home and began to search for any evidence they could find. It did not take long for them to find the prison cell that was Harry's bedroom, it took them just a few more minutes to discover Harry's previous bedroom. Vernon and his normal family were about to spend a lot of their years looking at the world through the bars on their normal prison cell windows.

Harry and Hermione having chosen a rather isolated property on a rather long list, had arrived at a pleasant six bedroom country house and were met by a small family of elves. Having questioned the elves Hermione discovered that the male elf Solly had been found almost beaten to death by his former owner and restored to health by Harry's grandparents, his wife Cilla had been found begging for food outside Gringotts after she had been thrown out by her Death eater former master. They had been given permission to join the Potter family and to live at the home that was at the time a little run down. The two elves had bonded after being together working on the house for a year; their three children had not wanted to leave the Potter home or the Potter family who they were very proud to be members of.

Hermione was elated that the Potter's seemed to have been forerunners of her freedom for elves campaign. After a tour of the house and a nice meal cooked by Cilla, the young and eager couple went off to bed. Normally when two teens take their first steps to engaging in sex it is the female who is the more nervous of the couple. Hermione though being nervous of the act was amazed at just how nervous Harry was, he was almost terrified that he might hurt her and she would then leave him. Even as they began their first joining she had to promise him she would never leave him and that she loved him.

Both teens were surprised at just how much they had enjoyed their first time. "Hermione love, can we consummate our marriage every day?" Harry asked a slight dazed and very happy look on his face.

"As often as we possibly can Harry, as often as we can, I don't think I ever enjoyed anything quite as much in my entire life before." Hermione replied as her eyes began to close. Unlike the books she had read where it said that the first time was usually over in a matter of a couple of minutes, they had enjoyed two hours learning about each other, and what they liked.

After spending almost an entire week in bed the two Potters were called to Gringotts to lay official claim to the stolen Potter property. Harry discovered that Dumbledore had stolen the portraits to prevent Harry learning of his full and true inheritance. Two of the portraits came as a shock to the boy who had been so badly treated by his relatives. The life size portraits of the previous Lord and Lady, his parents were a very welcome addition to the living room of Potter Grange, as they renamed the house.

For the next week both Harry and Hermione spent almost as much time talking to the two Potter portraits as they spent in bed with each other. All thoughts of ever returning to Hogwarts were dispelled when Harry declared the school was not a safe place for them. Hermione organised for them to be tutored at their home. Minerva assisted the two teens in finding instructors who specialised in home tutoring. They all taught their subject up to at least NEWT level, most taught up to master level.

Harry and Hermione took being lord and lady of the Potter family very seriously when they discovered that the family were responsible for over seventy tenant families that lived in Potter farms and properties. They were also responsible for a small army of house elves, none of which would ever take up Hermione's offer of freedom at any time they wanted it.

As Harry and Hermione were getting used to their new way of life. Albus Dumbledore discovered just how right the goblin who said he would not need money. He was sentenced to life in the tunnels for kidnapping, and facilitating the torture and mistreatment of an under age wizard.

Several days after Dumbledore went missing Severus Snape also vanished. He woke two days later sharing a tunnel with his former boss. Severus Snape was charged with espionage, and large scale and methodical sabotage of the wizarding world through his position as Potion master at Hogwarts. He found him self paying for all the bullying he had fostered and carried out. He was informed that as he had destroyed the careers of hundreds he would never leave the Goblins tender care.

Minerva McGonagall was promoted to the position of head mistress, her deputy was Pomona Sprout and together they started to drag Hogwarts back to the top of the quality educational institutions. They also began to drag the school into the twentieth century, while hoping that they could some day before the end of the century, be living in the same century as the rest of the world.

Harry and Hermione made sure to finish their education before they decided it was time to have children. Their decision came just a month after Voldemort and his minions attacked Potter Grange. Where he was totally destroyed by the Potter elves. His back up plan designed to prevent his death did not work against the Potter elves. After just ten minutes of fighting Dobby Potter dispatched the evil one into the next life, he was followed seconds later by several ghostly figures that bore a resemblance to their maker. As the last of the ghostly figures screamed in fear whilst being dragged down into the shadows, death eaters started to fall and die when their life force was siphoned off through their dark mark.

It was Hermione who suggested it was time that their family grew. They were blessed with an almost immediate pregnancy and their first son was born exactly ten months later. Minerva McGonagall was named as their son Andrew's first godmother, though due to her age she demanded that she have a replacement ready just in case, so Dora Tonks was enlisted as secondary godmother, which led to her being chosen as godmother to their next child, Rose a little girl with a remarkable likeness to her mother. Andrew and Rose having finished primary school were in their first year of being home tutored when the Potters had their next baby, a girl who with her strikingly black hair was named Raven.

Raven Marie was followed by a brother who was the last of that generation's Potters. His name Michael James Potter and he was a spitting image of his father, even giving him self a small lightning bolt scar for a short time when he banged his head when out playing one afternoon. The Potter family grew up happy most of the time. Together the family ran a chain of bookstores and though they did not need the income there chain of books spanned the worlds both magic and muggle.

Harry and Hermione retired on their hundredth anniversary and left the running of both the business and the family to their children and grandchildren. They spent their final years enjoying being with their family. When they parted from this world they were together surrounded by their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great, great grandchildren.

At the bottom of their grave stone the words 'Thank you Minerva' were inscribed. People speculated over the centuries exactly what they were thanking the goddess for; no one ever guessed they were thanking their teacher and friend who had made their life possible.


	22. Chapter 22 A Sleep walkers mistake

Disclaimer, As everyone knows Harry Potter and all his fellow characters belong to JK Rowling

This story is more of a slightly filled in outline, it is one of the stories I have decided not to follow up on. I have been told it is still worth reading so decidd to post it for my loyal readers. Hope you enjoy it. Oh yeah it is M rated.

Her first suspicion that something was wrong came on December twenty sixth, the day after their narrow escape from Voldemort. She woke early to feel a soreness between her legs. After examining herself with a mirror she found her hymen completely destroyed. She decided it could have some how happened during their fight. And so she treated her self with a small healing charm and then tried to put it out of her mind.

But over the following weeks several times she had woken early to discover fresh semen leaking out of her body. She did not want to believe what she knew to be the truth. She was being raped during the night without knowing about it. The only possible suspect was the young man she was sharing a tent with, it could be no one else. Fearing the worst she wrote a letter about what was happening to her and that it could only be Harry, she sent the letter to her friend Tonks. Tonks wrote back offering some advice and supplied her with two surveillance spheres, telling her she would need proof of what was happening if she wished to take it further.

She set the spheres up and twice more she woke to discover the leaking semen dripping from her body. She was intending to take down the spheres and check them out but the sudden start of what she knew was morning sickness had her cast a charm on her self to discover she was pregnant. She packed her things that night and under the cover of darkness she left him to carry on alone.

While this was going on the letter she had sent to Tonks had been leaked by one of the people Tonks had asked for advice about what was happening to Hermione. It was all over the Daily Prophet how Harry Potter had been holding Hermione Granger prisoner and raping on a daily basis and the girl had contacted the aurors for help. It took just one day for Harry Potter's reputation to be completely ruined. And Harry with no contact with the outside world knew absolutely nothing about it.

After feeling really down for a week after Hermione had simply left him without a single word, deciding she had gone to join Ron Weasley he got back to trying to complete the task he had been set. He continued on the quest to destroy Voldemort and save the world from a vile and evil monster. It took him several months and all the time he was completely alone, never seeing or talking to anyone, his reputation was being repeatedly dragged through the mud. Several women had claimed he had raped them but they had all been proven to be just after the fame that would come from it, but it still affected how people thought of Harry.

Hermione had left the tent and made her way to Australia to find her parents, she wanted her mother to be around when the child she was carrying was born. She had almost instantly decided that she would keep the baby, because the baby was not guilty of doing any wrong. It took her six long weeks of following the trail her parents had left as they moved around Australia looking for some place to settle down. She finally found them in a small town where they had bought a small dental practice. It did not take her long to restore their memories and explained why she had hidden them.

She explained to her parents how Harry had raped her and that was how she got pregnant. When the baby arrived she named her Marie, and with her parents she had her christened Marie Jane Potter in the local church. Her next visit after the christening Hermione made her way to the nearest Gringotts and made a claim against Harry's vault for maintenance money to ensure that Marie would not go without anything as she grew up. That piece of news also got leaked to the news papers and did not take long for it to spread the entire length of Britain, once again putting Harry Potter at the forefront of people's minds. Especially the ones who spread all the vile rumours about him.

After months of searching and fighting death eaters Harry had found and destroyed all the Horcrux including the snake Nagini. He finally faced and killed Voldemort right in front of the ministry building. Even though he had rid the magical world of their nightmare, the magical world turned on a truly confused Harry James Potter. It took him a week to discover why no one would speak to him. Even when visiting the Weasleys he was told he wasn't wanted there, and they would not even bother to listen to his claim of innocence. It was a week after killing Voldemort that the girl he had hoped to get back together with finally spoke to him. She only said one word before shoving a copy of the Prophet in his hand "Rapist," she almost screamed at him.

Harry stood and read what Hermione had accused him of and he was absolutely furious with her. His name was mud because she had lied about him. Visiting Gringotts he discovered where Hermione Granger was living thanks to the ledger that had the address that his money was being sent to.

He was sorting out his belongings to see what he was going to take with him when he visited the Grangers. As he sorted through the different things he had packed from the tent he came across the surveillance spheres. Having read about them he wondered where they had come from and how had he got them. It did not take him long to realise that if they came from the tent Hermione must have set them up although he could not think why she would do so.

It took him just two minutes to set up the first one to view what it had recorded. As he watched it he could not believe what he was watching. Wanting to make sure of what he had seen he quickly set up the second sphere. Watching the sphere he watched what he had seen on the first sphere and his anger grew deeper. He had to take a deep breath before he packed them into his suit case, he was so angry he was scared he might break them in his anger.

It was six pm three days later when Harry knocked on the Grangers door. It was Richard Granger who opened the door, seeing Harry standing on the door step Richard growled "Piss off rapist." then slammed the door closed.

Harry was in no mood to be treated like that and within seconds of the door slamming shut his wand was out and he blew the door off its hinges and stormed into the house. Walking into the living room Harry hit Richard with a binding charm and disarmed Hermione quicker than they could blink.

With Hermione's wand in his hand Harry pulled something from his pocket and threw it at Hermione. "Read them cuttings bitch." He hissed at her his anger at her near bursting. He really felt like hitting her and wished she was a man so that he could relieve some of his anger.

Hermione had no real choice and she knew it, so she read the news paper cuttings. It only took her three cuttings to realise that her letter had been leaked and Harry's entire reputation had been destroyed. She sat reading all the things he had been accused of and then reading the last one she discovered he had been hounded out of the British magical society despite having killed Voldemort. She couldn't find it in her to feel sorry for him, he had after all raped her several times, and she knew he was guilty even though she had never figured out how he had done it with out her knowing about it.

Harry then glared at her with hate in his eyes as he pulled a small box out of his pocket and warning them to watch of their own free will or be forced to watch, which he would be sure to make painful. Quickly setting up the spheres he started the first one playing.

In the scene that unfolded Harry was lying in his bunk in asleep, but he was obviously dreaming some erotic dream made obvious by his body. Then across the other side of the tent Hermione got out of her bed and stripped out of her clothes, she then crossed the room and straddled Harry. She then had sex with him and having finished she just got off him and went back to bed. Harry was still asleep, from the look he had he was still in the throws of an erotic dream.

Several times they watched as Hermione did the same thing. They could all tell she was sleep walking. As they watched the last few minutes of the recording Harry threw Hermione's wand on the floor and walked out of the house.

Hermione just sat there and looked at where the recording had been playing, her mind had stopped working for a short time. Richard found the bindings falling from him and as soon as he was free he walked over to look at the cuttings Harry had brought. It did not take long to realise his daughter sleep walking had completely ruined Harry's life. He knew that no matter what Harry did he would never be free of the stigma of being a rapist.

Helen took one of the cuttings and read the head line **Rapist Potter murders Lord Voldemort on the ministry steps**. She felt a little sick that they had said he had murdered the evil creature that was killing hundreds, as though accusing him of murdering a normal person in the street. Sinking back onto a chair she wondered what could Harry do now. He would probably be unable to find a job, or even a place to live. He had been hounded out of Britain by the British magicals despite having probably saved thousands of lives. And it was all because her daughter was sleep walking. Some thing they thought she had grown out of.

Hermione had never felt quite so bad before, not even during the year she had gone out of her way to distance her self from Harry, despite how much it hurt her to treat him that way. This though was a million times worse, what she had done this time had him ostracised from the entire magical community, even those who had been his close friends now despised him. She tried to think of a way to put it right but failed to come up with anything at all.

Two days later Helen answered a knock on the door to see Harry standing there. "I'm here to see my child." He said in a cold voice.

Helen had no choice but to let him in to see his daughter. As Hermione brought Marie into him she tried several times to tell him she was sorry, but it just seemed such a pathetic thing to say, 'how do you apologise for ruining a twenty year olds entire life' she asked her self. 'There won't be a single witch who would even consider being his girlfriend and marriage was completely out for him.' "I wish there was some way of putting this all right Harry, I never wanted anyone to know. I just wrote to Tonks for some advice, she must have let it slip. I would never have done this to you."

At that point Richard walked into the room and spoke up, "There is a way that might help and because this is basicaly your fault you're going to get married, you're going to marry Harry and we are going to release it to the papers that Harry has come to Australia to marry his long time girl friend Hermione Granger. There won't be a soul who would believe that you would marry the man supposed to have raped you, in a few days there should be some drastic repercussions for that rag the prophet for besmirching his character. You willing Harry, at least it might clear your name and you can be there to help your daughter to grow up? even if it doesnt at least you wull have yourself a wife, which would be almost impossible in that backwarrd society you both belong to."

Oddly for Harry having a family of his own with Hermione had always been his greatest wish so he agreed without any hesitation at all, though he did inform them that he would never set foot back in Britain. Hermione knew that for her to have had sex with him in her sleep there must be something there that only her subconscious had seen so far, that and her child would have her father so she also agreed.

Just a week later a photo of the Potter wedding, where a very happy looking Harry and Hermione held their daughter at their wedding, was sent to the Quibbler news paper, along with the press release that had been in the Australian press.

Two days after the Quibblers story there was a very similar story in the prophet, the following issue of the Quibbler there was a story of how the Daily Prophet was responsible for the hero of the wizarding world leaving Britain to live in another country. It was the beginning of the end of the Daily Prophet. People transferred their guilt onto the paper instead of facing what they had done.

The Potters despite the strange start to their married life had a long and very happy life, with four children born during their first seven years. There had been several people in Britain who were not Happy about the marriage but there was nothing they could do. Ron, Ginny, and Molly Weasley were among the unhappy ones.

...


	23. Chapter 23 Magic eye, magic Glasses

Harry James Potter had heard quite a few tales about their new defence teacher. One of the things he had heard had really disturbed him and he had been unable to get it out of his mind. As they sat in their first lesson of the term with the new professor Harry's worries multiplied.

Professor Moody had just spun around from writing on the black board and threw a piece of chalk at Seamus who had been doing something while hidden behind his desk. The chalk had hit him and the professor ordered him to pay attention while proving he could see what the boy was doing even with his back turned. Things quickly settled down in the room as every one made sure that they were paying attention to what Professor Moody was saying.

It was about fifteen minutes later that Hermione Granger raised her hand to ask a question. Moody ordered her to stand and to ask her question, Harry watched the professor closely and his blood began to boil. He had never in his life felt so angry before. As the professor stared at Hermione Harry was on his feet, snatched up his chair and practically disapparated to the front of the class before Moody even realised he had moved.

As the chair crashed into the professors head Harry yelled "Get your filthy perverted eye off my Hermione."

It was as the unconscious professor flew backward over his desk that the students realised what Harry had said. The girls in the class all started turning red as they remembered the tales of Moody's eye being able to see through anything, they then knew what Harry was on about when he yelled about what Moody was doing.

Hermione had heard Harry's words and it did not take her more than a few seconds to realise what it meant, that Harry had called her his Hermione, that Harry had thought of her that way had never entered her mind before and it brought a warm feeling that travelled from her chest to lower parts of her body. It was a sudden feeling of disgust that also increased the blush on her face caused by realising that their professor, who was older than her grandfather, had been looking at her with that magical eye and had licked his lips.

As the slight panic that Harry's actions had caused began to calm down, Harry disarmed the professor and then grabbed the magical eye and ripped it from the vile old man. Oddly it was Draco Malfoy who had the presence of mind to call for a school elf, he then told the elf to fetch the deputy headmistress who was teaching in the closest class to the defence classroom. The Gryffindors that heard Malfoy instantly thought that Malfoy was doing it to get Potter into trouble. That is until they heard him muttering to his betrothed "Pansy, has that old git been staring at you like he did Granger?"

Professor Minerva McGonagall arrived in the room less than five minutes after the elf had left to fetch her. What she saw had her worried instantly, an obviously angry Harry Potter was stood over professor Moody, who was lying on the floor next to his desk, and was bleeding profusely from several gashes to his face and head. It was obvious to the deputy head that Hermione Granger was the only thing that was keeping Potter from killing the downed man. As she got closer she heard Hermione say, "Harry you can't kill him for being perverted."

Harry's answer was heard by everyone in the room and it shocked them all, Hermione more so than the others. "I can if he pervs on the woman I am going to marry someday."

"Harry, please don't, you won't be able to get married at all if they send you to prison," Hermione said before she kissed him on his cheek, "please Harry…" she stopped talking then as she noticed McGonagall approaching them.

Before demanding an explanation Minerva called for an elf and sent him to bring the school healer to the classroom and then to go and inform the head master. It took ten minutes for Poppy Pomfrey to carry out some emergency first aid and then take the still unconscious professor away on a stretcher. While Poppy was treating Moody Harry had explained why he had attacked the man. He also swore he would do the same again if the pervert were to remain in the castle.

Harry stood and watched as the headmaster and his deputy discussed what they were going to do. It was quite obvious to all the students there that Harry was the only one who had given any thought to what a man with a magical eye could do in a castle full of teenage girls. As he watched the headmaster Harry had a sudden epiphany, he knew why the old man so often had that damn twinkle in his eye.

Neither Dumbledore nor McGonagall saw Harry draw his wand, it was not until the stunning curse hit the headmaster that Minerva paid any attention to the fact there was still a class full of students around her. She found her self petrified by Harry before she even had a chance to open her mouth to shout at him.

Harry stepped up to the now downed Dumbledore and removed the old mans half moon glasses, taking off his own glasses he turned to look at Hermione, who was staring at him in shock at what he had done. Harry's face turned bright red as he placed the half moon glasses on his face and peered at a completely naked Hermione. He was unable to prevent the words that escaped his lips as he whispered just loud enough for only Hermione to hear "So perfectly beautiful."

Hermione hearing what Harry said took two seconds to know why he had said those words, without a second thought she snatched the half moon glasses off Harry and looked through them her self to see if she was right. She too then turned bright red as she stared at a completely naked Harry.

Holding the headmasters glasses Hermione removed the spell holding the deputy head, before she had a chance to speak Hermione turned Minerva to face her and then offered her the glasses, indicating that she should put them on. Minerva who was very quickly approaching the end of her patience with all that was happening took a deep breath and removed her own glasses and put on Dumbledore's half moon glasses.

It was a furious Minerva McGonagall who removed the glasses and replaced them with her own. After disarming and then binding the head master she dismissed the class asking Harry and Hermione to accompany her. Ron Weasley who was Harry's best mate was fuming because he could not work out what was happening and neither Harry nor Hermione would tell him what it was that they saw with Dumbledore's glasses. The fact that he was not asked to accompany them made him lose his temper, as he normally did when not getting his own way, he snarled at them, "You know what Potter, stuff you, stuff the both of you, who needs friends like you, always treating me like I'm stupid."

As the two teens walked off with McGonagall Harry made a comment that brought a small gasp from the girl with him, "Why the hell do we put up with that jerk? Last year he almost destroyed our friendship over a bloody broom, and it wasn't even his bloody broom!"

Hermione looked at Harry while she thought over his comment, after she had said "Language Harry love."

Harry's face burst into a smile at her words, she had called him 'love', it did not bother him if she had realised it or not, the fact that it was Hermione who was the very first person he could remember calling him that, and what it implied sent his heart racing. Turning toward her he gently pulled her to a stop and leaning forward he kissed her. It was not a passionate kiss, but it was a kiss that was full of love and it let her know that Harry truly did love her.

It took just three seconds for Hermione to respond to the sudden kiss, and her arms snaked around his neck and shoulders as she kissed him back. The rest of the journey to the headmasters study was done in silence holding each others hands.

Sitting at the desk, with Dumbledore propped up against a chair McGonagall ordered the two teens to take a seat. "Right Mr Potter, I believe you had a very good reason for what happened to Professor Moody, what I would like to know is what led you to think he was doing such a thing in the class?"

"That's quite simple really, that ruddy eye stopped spinning and was looking directly at my Hermione, there was no other possible reason for some nut who keeps on about constant vigilance to stare at her and lick his bloody lips." Harry said quite angrily.

"And Albus?" Minerva asked. She really wanted an answer to this question because Dumbledore had worn those glasses for as long as she had known him, and she had known him since she first entered Hogwarts as an eleven year old.

"Moody was using that eye and could see through something that I own, something that no one should be able to see through. While I was looking at Dumbledore it dawned on me that he could also see through the same artefact, which he had proved at least twice, both times that damn twinkle he gets in his eyes lit up. Just as they lit up as he looked around at the students, it faded when he looked away from them and it clicked in my mind that he had just done the same as that pervert Moody was doing." Harry answered quietly.

Minerva nodded; she understood exactly what Harry was telling her. Standing up she walked over to the fire place and placed a floo call to the head of the magical law department where she asked to talk to her friend Amelia who was the head of that department. A little over an hour had passed since Harry had hit Moody, most of it had been spent in the headmasters office listening as Amelia Bones tried to get answers out of Dumbledore as to why he would do such a thing.

As Amelia was telling two of her aurors to take Dumbledore in for further questioning, Poppy Pomfrey's head appeared in the fire place and asked for immediate assistance in the hospital wing. Mad eye Moody had just changed into Barty Crouch Jn. There was almost a full on panic that evening inside the castle. Madam Maxine had heard what had happened to mad eye, and how it had led to Dumbledore's perversion being discovered. In a burst of anger she had withdrawn her schools girls from the tournament that was supposed to take place that year. The head master of Durmstrang seeing no real point in holding the tournament with just two schools decided to withdraw and took his students back to Durmstrang. Minerva McGonagall and the other professors of Hogwarts were at a loss at what to do, until Hermione was over heard saying.

"Why don't they simply have the Unspeakables that brought the darn thing here come and take that stupid goblet back where it came from, I tell you Harry there is not an iota of logic in the entire pureblood magical society."

For some reason only known to Ronald Weasley he blamed Harry for ruining his chance of winning the tournament and the thousand galleon prize. After yelling at Harry about it for several minutes he then accused Harry of stealing his girl. He refused to speak to them after Hermione had once again practiced her right cross, it was perfectly aimed and hit his nose, just as she had done the year before on Malfoy.

Ron was unable to understand why all the girls seemed to get angry with him every time he complained about Potter exposing both Dumbledore and Moody getting the tournament cancelled.

Harry and Hermione had had enough of the stupidity and danger of the magical world and the following morning they both handed McGonagall a letter informing her that they were leaving the school to return to the muggle world. Without a single word the two teens left McGonagall staring at them as they lifted their trunks and walked out of the castle.

"So Harry where too now?" Hermione asked as they reached the school gate.

"First Hogsmeade then floo to London, from there I'm not sure, only thing I am sure of is I am not returning to Privet drive, I've had enough of being treated like Dobby was. I suppose I'll just have to go to Gringotts get some money and then see if I can find someplace to live in the muggle world." Harry replied thoughtfully.

"We Harry, I'm quite sure my parents' wont worry if their devil worshiping witch daughter doesn't return." Hermione said quietly.

Harry stared at her for quite some time as what she said sank in. "What do you mean Hermione; I always thought your parents were nice?"

"Harry why do you think I spent so much time at the Weasleys, have you never wondered why they wont meet me on platform 9 ¾ like other parents. They think witches and wizards are evil, they think everything magical is from the devil. They would be quite happy if they never had to see me again." she answered and then the tears began to flow, "before McGonagall visited to tell them that I was a witch they were like any other parents. But it all changed that day, it was as though I had caught the plague. They couldn't get far enough away from me. They only really had anything to do with me when it was to keep up appearances." Hermione said tears still falling.

Once again Harry leaned in and kissed her, "Then we find a place together, we'll manage somehow. I think I have enough gold to last us for quite some time, besides together we can do anything, we already proved that."

After entering the three broomsticks a quick floo ride and the two teens were in Diagon Alley. Holding hands they made their way to Gringotts bank where they intended to get some money and have it converted into muggle cash before they left the magical world. As Harry filled his money bag and his pockets he asked the Goblin who had brought them to his vault if there was a way he could have all his gold converted to muggle money and have it put in a muggle bank.

Fifteen minutes later as they stood in the queue to change the gold into pounds they were approached by a Goblin who asked if they would accompany him to see a vault accountant about why they wished to change banks. With a quick nod from Hermione, Harry agreed to the request and still holding hands the two teens were lead into a rather well furnished office. They were introduced to a Goblin by the name of Oldorf.

"Mr Potter, Miss Granger," the Goblin said as he shook their hands. "We at Gringotts are wondering if we did something wrong in the handling of your accounts?"

The two teens looked at each other for several seconds as they held a silent conversation, a nod from each of them brought the conversation to an end and Harry turned to the Goblin. "Mr Oldorf sir, the reason I asked about having my money moved is because I… we are leaving the madness that is the magical world…" Harry then went on to tell Mr Oldorf about everything they had been through at Hogwarts. From the Troll incident right up to what they had discovered about Dumbledore, Harry left out nothing about their years at the school. "…And so we are going back to the muggle world, I'm quite sure we can manage it as long as we are together."

"Mr Potter, I can well understand your decision about Hogwarts, but there is no need for you to completely leave the magical world. Can I suggest that you take up residence at Potter house, I believe you will find it well protected and completely hidden from most magicals, except elves and Goblins?"

As Mr Oldorf finished speaking Harry was red in the face, not from being embarrassed but from pure anger. "I have a home? I have a bloody home and that lying old bastard said I had no where else to live but with those animals. Why the hell did Sirius or Remus not mention it, why the hell did they never really tell me anything about my parents or the rest of my family."

Harry's rant ended when Hermione pulled him into tight hug making sure that he could feel everything. "Calm down love, it's stuff like that that we are getting away from. I think we should do as Mr Oldorf suggests. Even if it needs some work on it we will at least have somewhere to live."

Harry and Hermione arrived by Goblin portkey just outside a rather nice well kept house just outside the borders of Snowdonia national park. The house was well over a hundred years old built of stone with a slate roof, it had six large bedrooms, and two good sized and rather modern bathrooms and was fully furnished. Apart from a fine coating of dust on everything the house was fairly clean and looked very comfortable and homely. Standing looking around the living room both teens knew they could be quite happy living there.

Hermione was the one who noticed that the front door was fitted with a letter box, and the words of Oldorf filtered through her mind, it was warded against magicals, he had not said it was warded against ordinary people. She was quick to let Harry know her thoughts. He verified her idea when he discovered a phone and after removing a dust sheet a rather ancient black and white TV. They were still examining the down stairs rooms when a small pop sound alerted them to the fact that some one magical had arrived at the house.

Standing just inside the front door entrance they found Dobby the house elf that had become a friend of Harry's. "Hello Harry Potter sir, Dobby did sensed that Master required his elf." The little fellow said as his greeting. Harry was quite surprised when Hermione seemed to be pleased to see Dobby, the fact that she did not question what Dobby meant by calling Harry his master really surprised him. He had to ask.

"Hermione aren't you angry about having an elf?"

Hermione smiled at Harry warmly before she answered "Harry you did not summon Dobby, he came of his own free will to be with you. If you had summoned him and practically forced him to come here then I would be mad, its enslavement of a sentient beings I am against, not having them as your loyal friends."

Dobby stood and shuffled his feet then looked up at Hermione. "Mistress Potter, woulds it be ok if Dobby's mate Winky…" he started to ask but then lost his nerve at the look she gave him.

"Dobby I'm not your mistress, and I am not a Potter, yet," Hermione said a blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Harry Potter sir is the master, you's is Harry Potters chosen one, Dobby did hear Harry Potter call you's his Herminny, Hermin, Mione in front of many peoples so you's is the mistress of the Potter house." Dobby declared looking at her as if she was slightly slow minded.

Hermione knew it was a waste of time arguing with Dobby, she had seen Harry try it and he never once changed Dobby's mind so she simply nodded, "You can bring your mate Winky if you wish to Dobby."

Five minutes later the two elves were busy cleaning the house, Harry and Hermione knew that they would not stop until each room was spotless. Settling down in the living room they started to discuss what they were going to do. It was not long before they decided that their first priority would be food, so they needed to discover where the nearest stores were. For their immediate needs they would ask Dobby if he could help them acquire enough food to tide them over for a few days until they had things worked out.

Dobby was quick to inform them that Winky knew where and how to purchase food like a good house elf should. With a small bag of galleons in her hand Winky popped away to get them a weeks supply of groceries and various cleaning potions. While Winky was doing the shopping Dobby cleaned the kitchen, and then Harry showed the elf how the cooker, fridge and other items worked. While this was going on Hermione was planning out their future, well the next year or so.

Their first day in Potter house the two teens spent a quiet and peaceful afternoon. Hermione spent most of the time reading a novel from the house library, while Harry spent the afternoon trying to get the old TV working. He gave up around the same time that Winky called them into the kitchen for their evening meal. He had decided that the TV was far to old and that they would need to buy a new one, he also decided they should have one of those new DVD things he had seen the Dursleys install.

Just after ten that night the two teens were ready for bed. What they found upstairs was just one room that was prepared for them by the two elves. There was just one bed that had any bedding and according to Dobby that was all that Winky had bought while out shopping because the master and mistress always slept together.

Too tired to argue and unable to do any magic because of the stupid under age laws, it was quickly decided Harry would sleep on the left side of the bed and Hermione would sleep on the right. One at a time they used the bathroom to get washed and changed into their sleepwear. Hermione changed into a rather pretty nightdress and Harry changed into his old over sized pyjamas. They finally fell asleep with Harry spooning Hermione and both had pleasant dreams of their future together, a future that they would make work. they home studied to try to catch up on their muggle education, which they did and did it rather well. They both attended a local college before they went on to university. From there they were married and raised a small family of two girls and a boy.

People in the magical world often wondered where the boy who lived had vanished too, though they never found him. Many speculated that he and his girl Granger had left the country to live somewhere where they were not known. The Tri-Wizard Tournament was cancelled before it was even announced. Albus Dumbledore was sacked from Hogwarts for gross misconduct and no one else would offer a job to the man who had carried out his perversion for many years, many women and men were disgusted at the thought that he had used his half moon glasses to perv on them while they were at Hogwarts. He died a hated lonely man a year later.

Crouch Jn was sent through the veil of death after he had revealed the hideout of the hideous creature that was all that remained of Voldemort. Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew were also sent through the veil of death for ever ending the threat of the worst dark lord of the last few centuries.


	24. Chapter 24 Flight to Australia

A/n just a slightly light piece I wrote while awaiting the reawakening of my inspiration. Sadly it did not wake up during this tale. Still maybe you will enjoy it, who knows, maybe it will help to put you to sleep on a restless night.

Flight to Australia

Harry James Potter 'The boy who lived, Vanquisher of 'You. Know. Who.' sat at the Weasley kitchen table with a small smile on his face. Across from him sat the cause of his smile, as he watched her sip at her early morning cup of tea he remembered back to three days previous when they had been sat in exactly the same position.

Flashback.

Harry watched as Hermione sipped her tea and felt a warm glow inside him. She had been his best friend for seven years, years in which she had done some amazing things in order to help keep him alive. For seven years she had been there at his side never let him down or deserted him, and she was the only person in the entire earth he could say that about. It struck him as she gently placed her cup down and glanced up to give him a quick smile, he loved her. He could not think how long he had loved her, but he knew at that moment that he did. He wondered what his other friends would say if he were to tell them that he loved her. No doubt Ron would explode in anger and jealousy. Ginny would scream and call him a two timer even though there were as of yet no definite relationships between any of them.

Somewhere in his mind he wondered why Hermione had not yet started preparations to go to Australia to fetch her parents. It was a week since the last of the funerals of those killed in the war, so they were now quite free to do what they wanted. Well everyone else was free, he knew he would never be free, he would always be hounded by the press. As he watched her once again lift her cup to take a sip, he noticed just how worn her clothes were. And then it hit him, their hunt across the length and breadth of the country had worked out far more expensive than they had expected, due mainly because of Ron's greed. Hermione no longer had the money and was far too proud to ask for help.

He decided he would do something about it over the next few days. He snuck out of the Burrow unseen the following morning, his visit to Gringotts bank in London, was no where near as bad as he had expected, seemed that Griphook had been found out for what he was and that he had been the reason that Harry Hermione and Ron had stolen a Dragon to escape the angry troop of guards. Harry was quite pleased that he got off with a thousand galleon fine for causing 'some' damage to the bank. He was feeling pleased with him self when returned unseen to the Burrow after withdrawing some cash and doing a little shopping while in London.

End Flashback.

Today was the day, and Harry sat and patiently waited as the people in the kitchen gradually rose from their seats and went off to do what ever they had chosen to do that day. Ginny went off to get dressed to accompany Ron out on the Weasley home made quidditch pitch for some practice. Ron didn't even wait for her after Harry said he did not fancy playing, he just stormed out of the house once again angry at the world because things were not going his way. Arthur and Percy left for their work at the ministry and Molly, the matriarch of the Weasley family went off to change the bed sheets, leaving just Harry and Hermione at the table.

As soon as there was just him and Hermione left, Harry reached across the table and placed his hand on top of Hermione's to stop her lifting her cup again. Hermione looked across at him and he gave his head a little shake, "Might be better if you didn't have a mouthful of tea just yet," he said a huge smile developing on his face.

"Now Hermione I want no arguments about this," he said as he pulled a white and blue envelope from his back pocket. "What I want you to do is to go get ready to do a little shopping. You and I have a plane to catch at nine this evening." he said pushing the envelope across the table.

Hermione gingerly took the envelope as if it were one of the Weasley twin's tricks. Opening the envelope flap Hermione's mouth fell open as she pulled out and stared at two flight tickets to Sidney Australia. To Harry's surprise Hermione started to shed tears onto the table top. Worriedly he looked at his best friend and asked "Did I do wrong Hermione love?"

Hermione's head shot up at what he said and she saw the worried look on his face, "No Harry, no, it's wonderful, so very thoughtful. I've been so worried, I… I… thank you Harry." she answered him after quickly deciding she would have to think about what he had called her later. Maybe it had just been a slip of the tongue.

"Right, you go get ready, pack your stuff or what ever and I will write a note to let the Weasleys know where we are going, and 'no' we are not going to tell them in person, you know what they are like, we would never get out of here if they knew." Harry said a little firmly.

Wiping away the tears Hermione nodded, she knew that Harry was right, even though they were of age Molly still treated them like children and often did stupid things to force her will on others. Ron would once again start to yell and make accusations and Ginny would no doubt start her weeping broken hearted girlfriend routine. In fact the Weasleys would do all they could to get their way and prevent her and Harry leaving.

After sneaking away from the Burrow, the two teens caught the local bus to the nearest town. As soon as they climbed down from the bus they both let out a relieved sigh. Harry took hold of Hermione's elbow, "So where do we start, we both need a complete new set of clothes, and again don't argue with me on this. What ever you want, what ever you need I want you to buy it with hesitating, or wondering if I can afford it. Your contribution will be spending how ever long it takes for you to get me outfitted decently because I have never had anything at all in my size, comes to that I never had anything new at all because I have never been allowed to do any shopping before except on Diagon Alley."

Hermione could both hear and see the determination that Harry had about what he wanted them to do and she decided that she could always pay him back at some stage in the future. So Arm in arm they started to wander around the shopping centre. As she shopped buying herself some pretty dresses and skirts, as well as tops and jeans, shoes and oddly with some help from Harry some rather nice underwear. She felt herself relaxing, the tension of the past year finally fading away.

By lunchtime Hermione had a completely new wardrobe, mostly of pretty and fashionable clothes. After lunch in a small café in the centre of town they set out to do the shopping for Harry. Harry's shopping was done far quicker than hers had been, but that was because Harry liked to see her in the dresses she chose and she spent quite some time in changing cubicles. Harry after having found out his size did not even bother to use any of the facilities to try on his purchases. He even sent her off to buy him some boxers while he chose a pair of shoes.

With three new suitcases between them full to the brim with their new clothes and the two of them in summer outfits they caught a train into London where they changed to the rail link to Heathrow airport, and arrived there just fifteen minutes before they needed to book in for their flight.

Eight hours later the two teens were sitting relaxing and chatting when Hermione asked out of the blue "Harry, why did you call me love earlier? When we were in the Weasley kitchen, you said 'Did I do wrong Hermione love?"

Harry looked at her straight in her eyes for several seconds before he decided how to answer. "Well truth is I don't really remember saying that… but… I mean Ok so, for some unfathomable reason you love Ron and for some even stranger reason you seem to think he loves you, even if it is true that you love each other it doesn't stop other men like me falling in love with you does it?"

Hermione listened to him and was quite shocked at what he said, although she could not decide which part of what he said she was most shocked about, so she decided to take things in order. "First why did you say some unfathomable reason?"

Harry looked at her in surprise for several seconds before he decided she really did not know. "Oh come on Hermione, the guy has treated you like rubbish since the first time we met. Why on earth would anyone treated with hate for years fall for the guy? It's just… just unfathomable."

With a look of shock on her face Hermione stuttered as she said indignantly, "And I know Ron loves me."

Harry was getting a little annoyed and answered, "Ron loves you, sorry Hermione, it is not love to belittle someone all the time, it's not love to insult your parents all the time, it's not love to make fun of everything you love to do, or to call you mental all the time, to belittle your muggle roots. Ron only loves himself."

Hermione had a tear running down her cheek as she said quietly "You're just jealous, you said you are in love with me, so that's the reason you said that about Ron, you are just jealous." With that she turned away from him and after shuffling about to get comfortable in her seat, with her back to him she opened the small novel she had with her and started to read.

Harry sat and the guilt started to fill his thoughts, as he opened his mouth to apologise to her he then decided that 'No' he had only told the truth so he would not be apologising. He took a page out of her book and turned his back on her and tried to get some sleep.

An hour later Hermione was surprised when she heard Harry ask someone if he could get a return flight when they reached Sidney airport. She recognised the hostess's voice as she quietly answered "That should be no problem Mr Potter."

"OH good, I think I shall be returning to Britain on the first flight available once we get there. Seems things are not going so well." Harry said before it went quiet again.

Hermione had been thinking over what Harry had said to her, and despite wanting to deny what he said she knew he had been truthful, just as he always was with her. Everything he had accused Ron of Ron was guilty of. He had never really paid her a compliment, he was always arguing with her, insulting the Muggles and Muggleborn. As for her parents he had always disregarded them as if they were below him, even his father Arthur treated Muggles as if they were some form of novel pets. And the painful truth was that Ron seemed to enjoy insulting her calling her names and making her cry. There was always the added fact that he was bone idle, and hated to do anything that even resembled work. As she lay there with those thoughts going through her mind she began to wonder why she had ever thought she fancied him in the first place, or that they could really have any sort of romantic relationship.

Hermione turned over to apologise to Harry when it seemed everything went haywire. There was an extremely bright flash of blue light out side the plane and a loud bang and the plane started to shake, all the lights and the TV's went off. Turning to look what was happening, in the darkness she made out the form of the hostess rushing up the isle. That was when the plane went into a rather steep dive.

Harry sat up and looked up and down the plane to see if he could see what was going on. Seeing that there was nothing working he took a risk on his magic and with a small wave of his hand he cast a listening charm on the hostesses who were at the far end of the plane whispering to each other. After listening to what they were saying Harry turned to Hermione and whispered so that just she could hear, "Do you have your wand?"

At Hermione's nod he whispered "Come on the plane has taken a huge hit from lightening, I think we might be able to help, stun anyone who tries to stop us."

By the time the two magicals had reached the pilots cockpit Hermione had stunned two of the hostesses and the sky marshal. Entering the cockpit with the help of a simple alohamora Harry took in the sight before him. The plane had been hit with a huge bolt of lightening. Directly in front of him one of the windshields was shattered and the flight crew were all unconscious. A wind was trying to suck them out of the window so Harry seeing there was not a single electrical item lit up cast an imperturbable spell over the smashed window sealing it and stopping the rush of air out of the plane. The two teens then began to enervate the crew.

The pilot tried hard to get some thing to work but absolutely nothing at all was working, not even the back up systems. Harry tried to get some idea about the speed they were diving and how long they might have left before the plane hit the ocean. Making a decision he spoke up in a clear voice. "Excuse me, I think I may be able to help but I must ask you all to promise to never reveal what I am about to attempt. Now you should know that I have never tried this on anything quite this size nor have I tried it on electrical systems before but it seems we don't have much choice other than hitting the water."

The crew probably thought he was mad but with the plane headed for the ocean below them it did not seem to matter to them so they all promised not to say anything. Harry nodded and then turned to Hermione. "I'm going to need your help with this, oh and if I collapse afterwards just tuck me up in my seat ok."

Taking Hermione's hand he took a deep breath and then reached deep into his magical core. Harry looked around as he did something they were not supposed to be able to do and he cast the most powerful repairo spell ever cast. It took several long drawn out seconds and then there was a small beep and a small light lit up on the control panel. Slowly one by one more and more lights began to light up. It seemed to those in the cockpit to take a very long time but eventually the pilot and his co pilot managed to restart the engines and get the controls working once again, they were then able to pull the huge plane out of its head long plummet toward a watery end. When the plane finally levelled off it was just around a hundred feet above the waves.

It was a very relieved crew who turned to thank the two magicals only to find the two teens unconscious on the floor. With Harry's spell on the windshield not interfering with anything inside the cockpit the cabin crew all looked at each other and together they silently agreed to never say anything about what had happened. As the crew members of the passenger cabin carried the two teens to their seats the pilot said to his cockpit crew. "I never believed in angels before, but I sure do now."

The plane was able to slowly climb to its correct flight path and continued on to Australia with out further problems. As soon as the plane had landed the imperturbable spell on the windshield finally dissipated, leaving the ground crews to wonder how the plane had survived its flight without a windscreen.

There was one final surprise for the crew when they were met on the tarmac by three long black limousine's several well dressed men climbed out of the limousine's and climbed aboard the plane and asked for Mr Harry Potter and his partner. Very carefully and gently the two still unconscious teens were carried out of the plane by the cockpit crew and placed on the back seat of the middle limousine before the three cars drove away, not even stopping at the immigration point.

Harry woke up several hours later to find Hermione in her usual place, sitting beside his bed and holding his hand. "Afternoon Harry," she almost whispered to him before she leaned over and gave him a small kiss on his lips. "You and your people saving thing." She said with a chuckle. "You saved all those people on that plane Harry, we made it here safely. What ever you do in life Harry, don't ever stop doing the impossible." She then sat back smiling at him.

"Where are we?" he asked quietly as he looked around for his glasses.

"Seems we were seen boarding the flight, the Australian ministry was waiting at the airport for us. We are in a ministry hotel, seems the Australian ministry is much different to the British one. They are even offering to help find my parents for us. Are you hungry?" she answered him with a look in her eyes he had not seen since their fifth year at Hogwarts.

They were both slightly surprised when a young man entered the room after tapping on the door. With him he had a pot of tea for two along with milk and sugar. Looking at Hermione he said "It's proper tea ma-am, would you like me to pour it out?"

Hermione shook her head "No, no thanks I'll be the one playing mother today."

As she was pouring the tea she placed just a drop of milk into one of the cups and with a quick stir a thought ran through her mind, ' _I know exactly how Harry likes his tea, and yet I have no idea if Ron even likes tea at all. In fact I think I know far more about Harry, than Harry knows. That has to mean some thing, I think I need to talk to my mum.'_

The two teens sat and drank their tea in a very comfortable silence. Harry was remembering that Hermione had kissed him. It did not matter to him that it was just a quick peck, that there was absolutely no passion or any indication that she felt anything but friendship, but to him it meant so much. First she had obviously forgiven him for what he had said on the plane and then something in that one quick moment had done something to him. After drinking their tea the two of them fell asleep. Harry lay back on the bed and shuffled over enough for her to join him, just as they had done several times over the past year while sleeping in a tent.

They were interrupted several hours later when there was a loud knock on the door. Rubbing her eyes Hermione walked over to open the door and was shocked and happily surprised to find her mum and dad standing waiting out in the hall.

Harry watched the tearful reunion of the Granger family with tears of his own freely flowing down his cheeks. Over the past months he had watched quite a number of family reunions, each and every one off them had caused the same sadness as he watched knowing he had no one he would ever have a similar family reunion with, as he had no family left.

As Hermione turned to lead her parents into the room she noticed the tears just before he tried to wipe them away with his sleeve. She knew instantly what his tears meant and why. She then thought of the day of the battle at Hogwarts when after it was all over Harry had been left all alone as she comforted Ron over the loss of his brother. Until that very moment it had not entered her mind that Harry lost the very last of his family when Remus had died. Harry had lost his entire family and had no one at all to comfort him. A sudden deep sadness filled her and she ran across the room and threw herself into Harry's arms, repeatedly saying "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Harry had no idea what Hermione was sorry for, he knew for sure she was not sorry about greeting her parents, so he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight while giving the Granger adults a puzzled look. They in return looked just as puzzled as he was. It was over five minutes before Hermione was able to pull her self together. She turned to look at her parents and at their puzzled looks she started to explain.

"When the last battle ended, I comforted Ron because one of his five brothers had died. Ron had the rest of his brothers and sister as well as his mum and dad there, and I went to comfort him. I ignored Harry, I did something awful and forgot that Harry lost his entire family, even his last sort of uncle and his only close cousin in that lousy war. I should have known better, I should have spent time with my best friend."

Harry pulled her into another hug and then kissed her on her cheek, "That doesn't matter now Hermione, it's all over and done with, ok?"

As he held her and said it was ok, Hermione felt the sadness that had filled her vanish, and she managed to give him a small smile before she introduced her mum and dad. "This is my mum Helen, and my dad Richard. Mum, dad this is the best friend I ever had, Harry Potter.

With the introductions over Helen and Richard took turns as they explained that Hermione's memory charm had only lasted as far as the Australian immigration office. With the memory charm being voluntary some one had become suspicious for some reason and they were flagged as possible supporters of the British dark lord that was trying to take over the country. They were led in to see a healer and their memories were quickly restored. They had spent the last few months really worried about their only child, and even went and bought a wizarding radio so that they could listen to the Australian version of the WWN. They had listened each day as lists of witches and wizards who were known to have died were read out. They had occasionally been able to listen as the AWWN broadcast some of the Potter watch broadcasts. Helen broke down in to tears as she told how very relieved she had been when the war ended and the victory of Harry Potter and his best friend Hermione Granger were announced in one of the early morning broadcasts.

Richard then mentioned that they were not to sure when to expect Hermione's arrival in Australia, but they had a contact within the ministry who assured them that he would let them know when the heroine of the wizarding world set out from Britain. He had been to see them that morning but told them that they might want to delay their arrival until the evening as Harry had come with her and for reasons as yet unknown were both unconscious due to magical exhaustion.

Unknown to either of the two teens the ministry discovering them both magically exhausted had caused an instant inquiry as to how such a thing could happen while on an airplane for more than twelve hours. The Cabin crew of the plane were questioned and when they refused to say what had happened a Legilimens expert had interviewed them and had gently extracted the story from their minds. Harry and Hermione were now even more popular as international hero's than they had been.

The three Grangers and Harry found out the following morning when the Grangers contact from the ministry turned up and informed them that the minister wished to see them to bestow Australian citizenship on them all for their amazing feat of saving over three hundred lives of men women and children on a Qantas flight from Britain.

Hermione was quite pleased that they had done all that shopping in England when she dressed up to go and visit the Australian minister. She smiled at how handsome Harry looked in his new clothes that actually fitted him. Neither of them noticed that they had held each others hands from the moment they left their hotel room. However both Helen and Richard noticed and shared a secret smile. They knew almost as much about Harry as Hermione did, she spoke about him so much. They even knew his favourite tart was a treacle tart.

Both Granger adults were under the impression that the two teens were or soon would be engaged to be married, and they both wondered if they would marry while still in Australia. Silently with shared looks the two adults chose to wait to see what the teens wanted to do.

The Australian ministry turned out to be much different than the British one. They had good relations with the non magical government and worked together on several things including education. That the magical children were given a normal education as well as a magical one, was just one example that Hermione discovered. The awarding of their new citizenship was given to them without a lot of pomp and ceremony surrounding it. There was no formal ceremony, just a few wizards in an office who gave their sincere thanks for what the teens had done. The citizenship they were granted was legal in both worlds, and a government representative was there to offer the thanks of the ordinary people of Australia as he handed them both a passport, he also said that it was hoped that the entire family would remain in the country for quite some time.

The following morning they were all transported to the small town where the elder Grangers had settled, Richard very enthusiastically showed them his new surgery before they were then taken to see the book shop that Helen had opened. The two teens were surprised to find a small magical section in the back of the shop in a separate room. Hermione of course took quite some time to look around, and had to be reminded by Harry that she could come to the shop at anytime she wanted.

That evening they were taken to the Grangers home and shown the two rooms that Helen had had ready for them for quite some time. She mentioned that she only had two rooms because she was not sure if that other boy would be with them. Hermione looked at her mother questioningly when she referred to Ron the way she did. She was quite shocked when Helen said "You Know the nasty red head git that hangs around you two."

"Mum what do you mean? Why did you call Ron a nasty git?" Hermione asked a little loudly.

Helen looked at Hermione as if she were quite mad before she answered "Well from your letters it seems he takes great delight in upsetting you and insulting your father and I."

Hermione was reminded of what Harry had said about Ron while on the plane and the questions she had asked herself earlier. If Ron is so bad how is it I was… her thought stopped only half developed as a memory from when she was in the hospital wing of Hogwarts and Harry had told them of the prophecy. It was then that she had started to convince her self that Ron was the safest choice for her to make, despite the fact that she was falling for Harry, it was when she started to convince her self she did not love Harry like that. As that memory played all the walls she had built up in her mind hiding the fact that she loved Harry began to fall, the forced denials of her love for the raven haired boy, all collapsed and Hermione started to sob, then ran into her room and threw herself on the bed.

Helen followed Hermione into her room while Harry went to sit in his room. "Hermione sweet what's wrong?" Helen asked as she stroked Hermione's hair.

"OH mum I've been such a fool, a stupid, stupid fool." Hermione said. Slowly between her sobs she told her mother about what had happened since the beginning her sixth year in her life and how she had set her sights on Ron because of the threat that Harry was under. How she had kissed Ron and then how she had defended the red head on their flight south and how she had started to have second thoughts about Ron. "And then what you said tonight… well it got to me, made me realise how stupid I have been over everything. What do I do mum, I think I love Harry?" she then told her mum how she knew just about all there was to know about Harry, except what to do next.

Helen looked thoughtful for a few minutes and then answered "I think if it was me, I would write to Ron and let him know that you will not be getting together with him if you return to England. I would tell Harry that you have thought over what he said about Ron, and you have decided to break it off with him. Harry will be happy for you what ever you do, but he will never make a move or ask you out if he thinks you still have something going on with Ron."

"Thanks mum, I think you are right, I'll do that tonight." Hermione said cheering just a little.

Helen gave a small chuckle, "Good that will cheer up your dad."

"What do you mean mum? What's dad got to do with it?" Hermione asked puzzled.

"Well truth is he sort of expected you and Harry to be married by now, me I was positive that you would at least be engaged to him, I mean, you told us so much about the boy over the years we both feel as if we have known him for years." Helen said again having a little chuckle at the look on her daughters face. "Oh come on Hermione, you have been in love with Harry since you were fourteen."

Helen left Hermione to write a letter to Ron and went down to join Richard. It was an hour later that Harry knocked on Hermione's door and asked if she wanted to take a walk around the town. Hermione seeing a way to let Harry know she was finished with Ron answered "Come in Harry, I wont be long, I'm just writing a dear John letter to Ron."

"A dear John? Why would you be calling him John?" Harry asked.

"It's what they call this kind of letter Harry, it's to let him know what ever we had between us is over. I have been thinking about what you said and you were right, about everything, but at least I owe him this much. He'll know there is no chance of us getting together. That I don't feel that way about him. I don't think I ever did really. I think I was just settling for him while fooling myself that I was not falling in love with you, that I would never be good enough for you to fancy."

Harry slightly shocked but happy about what she said, walked over to her and kissed her gently before saying "Well you finish up your letter, I'll be downstairs with your dad." He then walked out of the room and closed the door before a huge smile broke out on his face. "She loves me," he whispered to him self. Later that evening as they returned from their walk he asked her to be his girlfriend. By the time they reached the Granger house they were a couple. They never heard from any of the Weasleys after the letter from Hermione.

It was just two weeks after they got together when Harry returned to the house after being out all day. As they sat down for their evening meal Harry was rather fidgety, and Hermione wondered what he had done. "Are you going to tell us Harry?" she asked as she poured him a fresh cup of tea.

Harry looked up surprised but then wondered why he was surprised, because he knew Hermione could read him like an open book. "I…I, well I don't think I will be returning to England. I've been making some enquiries and according to the guys at the ministry there is a fast track course for a normal education here. They do a kind of memory implant with something like Legilimens, it was developed by the Aboriginals for teaching their shamans or whatever they are called here. Any way I thought I would take the course and then… well then I want to go to medical school… maybe become a doctor. If we return to England there would be no chance what so ever of doing the same thing."

Harry wasn't sure he had actually seen Hermione move but as soon as he finished speaking she was sitting in his lap and kissing him rather fiercely, despite her parents sitting just across the table from him.

"That's fantastic Harry love." She declared as soon as the kiss was over, "Can we do it together?"

A rather short epilogue

The ministry education course took them a full year to complete because they had to sit all the exams that the none magicals had to sit during their time at school. They were joined by Andromeda and their godson Teddy just after finishing their course and she bought a small house close to the Grangers. Together Harry and Hermione bought a little flat on the outskirts of Sidney to live in while they studied medicine and both worked hard on their course. After they graduated as fully educated they took a month off to get married and enjoy their honeymoon. Then they started on their course at the medical school. It was seven years later when the two Potters sat their final exams and became fully qualified doctors.

Richard welcomed them home with an offer that they could not refuse. And just three weeks later they first entered the PG medical centre. Richard was the senior dentist of a small team of three, Harry and Hermione were introduced to Dr Phillip Prendergast, who was the senior doctor of their team of three, above them on the third floor there was a team of three opticians.

Although they were both nervous when they first started to practice the medical centre was quite soon a very busy practice. Both Harry and Hermione were popular doctors. Though Richard suspected the both of them of just a little surreptitious magic use when it might be needed.

Hermione was twenty seven when she first became pregnant and gave birth to a little boy who they named after his grandfathers, Richard James Potter made his appearance in the world on the twenty first of November, and unlike her mother Hermione had quite an easy pregnancy and birth. Over the next three years the Potters had two more children, both of them little girls.

Harry walked into the maternity ward to his wife's bed and kissed Hermione warmly for quite a while before he offered her a parchment envelope. "Little sue has received an invite to enrol in Hogwarts, she beats both Dickey and Beth by two whole weeks. Minerva seems to be getting those letters out quicker each time a new Potter arrives in the world." He chuckled as he settled into a chair with his new daughter in his arms.

"Yes well, I think bar accidents our little Susan will be the last one in our family who will receive one of these letters," Hermione said smiling at her husband.

"Hmm I have been wondering about having a vasectomy instead of using the charm, but I haven't made my mind up yet." He said quietly as he rocked the new born to sleep. "Oh yes while I remember, I have been ordered by several of those she devils that you call patients to tell you to enjoy your rest but to hurry up and come back to work. According to Mrs Greene they need a real doctor to treat their ills. Seems you are far more popular than Phil and your poor picked on husband."

"Well according to Reginald I can go home tonight, and he has given his permission for us to take the newest little Potter with us." Hermione chuckled quietly. "Maybe I'm not as popular with my consultant gynaecologist as you and Phil seem to be."

The two Dr Potters enjoyed their work and raising their small family which eventually included Teddy just after he reached his teens. Mostly they enjoyed the fact that they could do it all in peace. Together they lived long and happy lives in their new land. There was never a Potter who attended Hogwarts after Harry and Hermione.


	25. Chapter 25 Mistake

Disclaimer, Sad to say I do not own any of the Harry Potter universe, it all belongs to J. K. Rowling.

Mistake

Hermione had been married to Ron Weasley just three months when he showed his true colours. He had entered the kitchen of the Burrow where they were living with his family temporarily or so he said. Standing behind Hermione who was sitting at the kitchen table, he dropped a book in front of her and said rather coldly. "Read that and call me when you have finished." He then walked out of the kitchen to join his brother and sister on the Weasley quidditch pitch.

Hermione read through the book and was horrified by what she read; it was a book on laws for half bloods and muggleborn married to a pure blood. That one of the laws stated if Ron wished it, she would have to sleep with any of his family he designated turned her stomach over. There were several laws that were even worse. There were laws in the book that were against all she believed in, and as she read it through she began to wish she had not married Ron, she wished that she had listened to her parents who had refused to attend the wedding. They had despised Ron ever since he had almost gotten her killed in her first year at Hogwarts. Having finished reading the book while the Weasleys were outside she discreetly made a copy of it and hid it under her robes. Harry needed to see the book before he made the same mistake she had made. His making that mistake could be very costly as one of the laws gave Ginny the ability to nominate any of her family to use the Potter vaults.

That evening as they were sitting in the living room Ron called to her, "Herms go get ready, dad wants to test the goods tonight and you will treat him right, make sure he knows you are good in bed as well as in the kitchen." Hermione had her wand out quicker than the Weasleys could think and flat out refused to obey her husband. A full on battle started as Ron, his father Arthur and sister Ginny all pulled their wands and tried to force Hermione's obedience. What they had not considered was Hermione had been trained by her best friend Harry Potter, the most powerful and best fighter alive in the world of wizards. It did not take Hermione long to have the three Weasleys bound on the floor.

"You wait until my mother gets home, she will soon have you obeying what I tell you," Ron moaned as he fought against the bindings holding him.

Hermione looked at him in disgust, "If you think for one second I am going to wait around for another evil git, you just have to be even thicker than I thought." She declared. She then quickly fired three stunners knocking the three Weasleys unconscious. Making sure she had her copy of the book Ron had given her she aimed her wand at Ron and cast an untraceable curse at him that would prevent him ever being able to rise to the occasion should he somehow find another muggleborn to entrap. After casting the same curse at Arthur she threw some floo powder into the fire place, stepped into the green flames that appeared and with a word she vanished from the Burrow.

Hermione arrived quite unexpected at Harry's home and was met by a small being, an elf by the name of Winky. Though Hermione did not like the fact that elves were bonded to either a witch or wizard Winky had actually told her off for scolding Harry, telling Hermione it was her own choice to be bonded and that Hermione was in the wrong trying to force her views on elves and Harry, that had quickly shut Hermione up as she had not considered what she was doing was practically bullying Harry into something, while depriving the elf of what she really wanted.

Winky gave a small curtsy as she asked what Mrs Weasley wanted. Hermione asked politely if Harry was available to talk to. Winky nodded "Master Harry tells Winky that for Mrs Mione Weasley he is always available no matter what time day or night." The little elf said before adding "Winky will fetch master." And with a pop she vanished.

Hermione had to wait almost five minutes before Harry arrived looking as if he had not slept for several days. "Hermione, oh you don't know how good it is to see you, is Ron coming over?" Harry said as he pulled her into a hug, which was something he had never done before.

"No Harry… er actually do you think you could lock down the floo and put up the anti apparation wards to stop any of the Weasleys coming over… please its important, very important." She told him when he let go of her.

Harry did not hesitate or waste time in doing as she requested quickly and efficiently. "Right Hermione this sounds serious. So what's going on?"

Hermione looked at him sadly, "Can we get a cup of tea while I tell you about this morning?" she said tears appearing in her eyes.

A few minutes later Hermione had passed her copy of the book that Ron had told her to read, and asked him to read it as it was very important he know what was in it. She sat at the table and sipped her tea slowly as Harry read through the book, the occasional tear escaping as she thought about how the man she had married was not who she thought he was, and his family were just as bad. It made her sick to know that being a muggle born she was not allowed to divorce him to get out of her situation. She looked across the table at the man she was really in love with and instantly regretted the choice she had made during their sixth year at Hogwarts.

She had realised that Harry was falling for her after Neville Longbottom told her how Harry had reacted to her being injured. She was so pleased to begin with, and then he told them the prophecy and she got scared. Her logical side told her that it was stupid to love someone who would probably be dead before he reached eighteen. So she made a logical choice and she chose Ron to take Harry's place.

Harry slowly closed the book and slid it to the centre of the table. "Hermione, where on earth did this trash come from?" he asked while holding back the anger he felt.

Hermione took a sip of her now cold tea and then told him all that had happened that morning at the Weasleys home. She told him how disgusted she had felt when Ron told her she was to have sex with his father, but added that she had no idea what to do as she had no way out of the marriage.

"So you want out, but you can't get a divorce this is brilliant, absolutely brilliant," he exclaimed his anger vanishing.

Hermione looked at him in shock "You are ok with this, with what they want to do to me?" she asked standing up and grabbing the book.

"No, no nothing like that, not at all. No, what is brilliant is that I can now show you what I have been working on for the past year every spare minute I get. Come on I'll show you, you will be safe here so don't worry about the Weasels." He said getting up and grabbing her hand and dragging her after him like an eager child wanting to show a parent a toy they want. Harry dragged her all the way up to the attic where a machine of sorts stood. A machine that looked remarkably like the one in a film she had seen many years before.

"This is it, it's almost finished, actually it does work but not long enough. I need some help because I'm almost sure I have one of the rune sets wrong… or more precisely Leonardo had one wrong. According to his scroll this should be able to take me back or forward several thousand years, but it has only been able to go back a week. I haven't tried going forward because there would be nothing for me there." Harry told her still as excited as a small boy in a toy shop.

Hermione stared at the machine with her mouth open for a while before she spoke, "Harry this isn't a prank is it? Because that thing looks just like the time machine used by Jules Vern in the movie."

Harry looked at her in surprise "Hermione you know me better than that, you should also know I never got to see any movies until I saw those at your house. I will admit though when I started trying to decipher Leonardo's scroll I thought it was some sort of joke. Decided to build it anyway just to pass some time, and like I said it worked but only for a week. There is another problem that could have been a drawback, but what I planned to do with it made that little drawback a positive advantage. See according to Leonardo when he first tried it he just observed the changes and then returned to where he started. The second time he chose to leave the machine to leave himself a note, but as soon as he stepped out of the machine, he also stepped out of his body which then vanished. He admitted to panicking some at first but then his past self walked into the room and he somehow merged with his past self. So you can't get out of the machine if you go out side your own life time. So you see its perfect for what I want to do, don't you think?" he said excited at the possibilities.

"Er Harry you have yet to mention what you intend to do," Hermione said with her first smile since she saw that damn book.

"OH, yeah, well I thought if I transport it out of Grimmauld place to the forest of dean to near where we were during the hunt, then go back to the time we were searching for those vile things, well I would know where they are and how to destroy them, that would or at least should allow me… us to save heck of a lot of people from an early death." He explained hoping she agreed with his idea.

Hermione stared at him once again with surprise, "Well I'm coming with you, so where are these runes you are having problems with. As long as you keep those vile Weasleys out of the place I will be able to help you," she said as she pulled her jacket off and threw it over a chair. "Lets get started shall we, the quicker we do this the happier I will be."

"Yeah me too, then I wont have to put up with molly and her constantly asking when are Ginny and me getting back together, foolish old woman just wont accept I am not interested in a fan girl as a girl friend. Mind you after what I've learnt about Ron today I don't think I will be visiting him again, unless it's to kill him and his shit family for how they have treated the girl I actually love."

Hermione smiled at him knowing he had not realised what he had said, "That will make for a good back up plan if this doesn't work, but I get to deal with Ron, you can take care of the rest of them, ok,"

Getting the machine to work took Hermione just two weeks, she discovered the error was a rune in one of the time sets was upside down which stopped that set working at full power as it was the power rune for that section. Once that was set Harry shrunk the machine down and they then left Grimmauld place and apparated to the shrieking shack to carry out their tests. With the machine set up in a corner of the room where the trapdoor to the tunnel was they could remain in the machine while watching as time passed without being detected. Hermione reckoned if they could go back to their third year at Hogwarts when they had saved Sirius they should be able to observe anyone entering the building, if it is working correctly they should be able to see them selves enter and leave.

Two days later they returned to Grimmauld place elated that everything had worked, they had managed to go back, had seen their younger selves without being detected and then returned to five minutes after they had started out. Together they quickly started working on a plan for when they took the proper trip through time. One week later and after quite a lot of discussion about when to go too, they decided to stick with the time chosen by Harry in the initial stages of building the machine.

With the machine shrunk and in Harry's pocket Hermione apparated them to the spot in the new forest just as she had done for their previous visit when they were on the hunt for Voldemort's horcrux.

Wishing each other good luck Harry set the timer and started the machine. Holding hands they watched as the days and then seasons all seemed to whirl around them. They started to slow down around a week before their actual arrival. As the machine materialised at the chosen time, a week after Ron had deserted them, they began to feel the cold of the late autumn night. Knowing that their younger selves would be fast asleep they prepared to leave the machine and both prayed that Leonardo was correct about what would happen. Just before they climbed out of the machine Harry turned Hermione toward him and taking a risk he pulled her to him and kissed her rather passionately.

Stepping from the machine Hermione felt her self fading into the air around her and then felt she was rushing forward at a tremendous speed and then she knew she was entering the body of her younger self, how she knew what was happening to her in the darkness that enveloped her she did not know.

Entering the body Hermione was instantly shocked at what she felt, the body she had just entered and was integrating with was straddled a man's body and was fully engaged in a bout of energetic sex. Using all her will power she managed to open one eye of the body her mind and memories were now joining with and looked down on the man she was having sex with, she was most definitely doing something she never remembered doing. She was having sex with Harry James Potter.

Seconds after she finished integrating with her younger body, she felt the most amazing and fantastically powerful orgasm rip through her entire body like a tidal wave causing a feeling of utter ecstatic pleasure, gasping and writhing and only just holding on to consciousness she could feel it when he caused her to hurtle into another orgasm even greater than the one before. This time Hermione lost the little control she had over the younger body and joined it totally as she blacked out from sheer overload of pleasure.

Harry stepped out of the machine and went through the same things that Hermione did. He felt the same as she did on entering his younger body, but with his more powerful magic he was able to slowly force his younger body to look up just as he had his release, he yelled out her name loud enough to wake the young woman.

Hermione woke to feel her last few moments of their lovemaking. Though she had woke up she did not try to lift herself off him, instead she tried her hardest to prolong the wonderful thrills he was sending through her every nerve. When her body had come down from the orgasm, she shivered several times as after shocks rippled through her from head to toe, and she spoke to him. "Harry you do know you are brilliant."

"Harry I don't remember this at all, but it must have been after Ron left, we could never have done it while he was here because there was always someone on guard." She replied smiling "So Harry someone must have used a memory charm on us… oh you must have been my first after all, that would explain why I never felt any pain the first time with the git. I suppose you know being tall did not extend to his little Ronny. Oh and thank you, that was my first man induced orgasm, well the first I remember. So you ready for round two?" she grinned with a wicked gleam in her eye as she started to move again.

"Seems Leonardo was right then, and as for you, well your timing is perfect. It might have taken us quite some time to reach this stage had we merged at any other time. Wonder how come you didn't get pregnant? No belay that one, I know you're so brilliant even asleep you would have been sure to take precautions." He said quietly. "I think you must have been right about the memory charm because I don't remember what led up to this, or anything."

"Sort of makes me wish I had got pregnant, there's no way any of the Weasels could have wiped that from our minds. Also if I had had a baby with you all that time wasted on the jerk would not have happened. Now stop wasting energy on talking and use it on me instead."

Hermione was once again in heaven as he touched her in a totally different way. "Harry stop a minute, " she said as she pointed her wand at her self and asking with a look she waited for him to nod before she removed the contraceptive charm. "Put a baby inside me Harry," she grunted pushing back onto him forcefully.

Harry was thanking the gods as Hermione went through two orgasms and her body exploded in the most powerful feelings she had ever had. He thanked the gods for allowing him to find the scroll, for the Weasleys being a family of perverts, for the impeccable timing that had brought them back to that perfect time.

It had not taken them long to sort out their plans for the near future. Their first priority was to get in touch with the Goblins at Gringotts and inform them of the piece of Voldemort sitting in their vaults. Unable to use an owl Hermione suggested that considering that muggle born had to answer their invitation letter to Hogwarts by normal mail, that and the Goblins must be working with some contacts in the muggle world in order to get the muggle cash from the exchange desk turned back into their own currency so it would need them to have the same or similar arrangement. Harry quite readily agreed with her as it all made sense to him. She was proved correct when three days later they received a letter from the Goblin security chiefs' office asking what they required for letting him know the whereabouts of the foul object so that it might be destroyed.

Harry returned their answer the same night, informing them that as long as the object was destroyed he was quite happy and did not require payment. To prove his point he wrote the information they would require to find the one in the Lestrange vault and the information on all the others, at the bottom of the letter. Again three days later they received an owl from the Goblin that carried a small parcel. Inside the parcel were the two halves of Hufflepuff's cup. Along with a note that said the Goblin nation had transferred the Horcrux into an animal and they were going to perform a ritual to destroy it and the other horcruxes on the night of the full moon.

Two weeks later on the night of the full moon, Harry lay on his bed, Hermione sat with him holding his hand as they both wondered what would happen. They both knew how Harry had died in their previous time and how having the horcrux in his head had saved him, they both silently prayed that it would save him once again.

At ten minutes past ten Harry screamed out in pain and dropped into unconsciousness, Hermione sat with tears streaming down her cheeks while holding his hand and praying loudly for him to wake up, to not leave her. She jumped back in shock when the locket Horcrux they had burst open and a vile smelling green mist drifted upward before it formed a shape that resembled Voldemort. The ghostly shape headed toward her but while it was still several feet from reaching her it suddenly screamed and blew apart, the remaining mist then simply vanished.

Hermione her eyes staring at the destroyed locket moved slowly toward it to make sure it was now clean, when from behind her she heard yet another scream. She turned around just in time to see another green ghost like figure explode. As she stood in the middle of the tent staring at where the ghostly form of Voldemort had been she heard a small noise that sounded a lot like a quiet snore. Rushing over to the bed she found Harry fast asleep, the sad look that usually filled his sleeping face was gone and he was smiling. The worried worn look he had always had was completely gone.

In the basement of Malfoy manor the evil being that had named it self Lord Voldemort stood instructing his minions on their next big assignment, when suddenly he felt that something was pulling him from the body he was possessing. He used all his power to try to resist the pull, knowing instinctively that he would perish if he did not win the fierce struggle he was having. To try to boost his power he called on his connection to all his followers and started to use their magic to help him. Thinking that his connection simply allowed him to direct their collective power to assist him, he had no idea he was draining their magical cores until they started to collapse all around him. He very quickly discovered he could no longer control the connection and his followers started to die, their magic and the life force it supported completely drained. It took two extremely pain filled hours before his magical body started to fall apart, it took a further hour filled with excruciation pain before his final soul piece exploded and vanished.

Harry woke up from what had been a rather refreshing sleep and the first thing on his mind was Malfoy manor and the people held prisoner their. He being one of the last two Horcruxes had seen through that connection what was happening in the manor basement and he knew it would be up to him and Hermione to go to the rescue.

It did not take long for Hermione to agree with him, she was eager to rescue her friend Luna months before they had managed to do before and had them both ready to leave within the hour. Harry called for both Dobby and Kreacher. He then showed Kreacher the destroyed locket letting the elf know that his masters last orders had been carried out. When he asked Dobby about getting them to Malfoy manor Kreacher volunteered to help. It took Dobby just a matter of seconds to show his fellow elf how to get to the manor and then with Dobby taking Harry, and Kreacher taking Hermione they all left the tent with a quiet rustling noise and arrived in the Malfoy basement.

Hermione was shocked as she looked around. There were close to seventy bodies lying all around the basement and from the looks on their contorted faces each one of them had died in utter agony, what had shocked her was the fact that she could feel no sympathy for them at all.

Harry dragged her from her shocked state as he caught hold of her hand and led her to the cells where the prisoners were being held. They found Luna looking after the wand maker Mr Ollivander. Hermione was almost overjoyed to learn that Luna had only been a prisoner for a few hours and she had not yet been touched by any of the death eaters. Harry discover three other women who had been taken prisoner that day as well as those they had found their first time around.

Not knowing what else to do Harry had the two elves take the prisoners out of the manor to the tent for now. They would sort everything out later. To get so many people away they had to go through the basement and up into the manor. The rescued prisoners were quite shocked to see all the dead that they had to pass on their way to freedom. Each and every one of them credited Harry and Hermione for destroying the vile and evil force that was destroying their world.

Outside the manor, all around the country death eaters lay dead and their sympathisers rapidly began to leave the country. Most of them would never return and those that did were quickly arrested and sent to Azkaban.

Harry and Hermione were once again declared hero's of the wizarding world, this time however, instead of being rushed off to the Burrow by the Weasley family both Harry and Hermione demanded an interview with the newly appointed acting minister. After being shown into Kingsley Shacklebolt's office Harry slammed a book down on Kingsley's desk and demanded that every single law in the book be stricken from the law and then made illegal to try to enforce.

Kingsley started out by saying that those laws could not be changed because they had been in force for centuries. Harry nodded silently and then handed Kingsley a letter that Hermione had sealed. "You will be able to open this letter at any time after nine am tomorrow. Get in touch with us via owl when you have changed your mind." Holding hands the two hero's walked out of the ministry and once outside they apparated back to their tent.

The following morning Kingsley Shacklebolt was urgently trying to get a full meeting of the remaining members of the Wizengamot together to sort out what to do. As he sat in the ministers chair waiting for the members to gather he looked once more at the letter from Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.

'_To the ruling body of the wizarding world of Britain. _

_Today I Harry James Potter give you fair warning of my intentions. Yesterday I handed a copy of a law book to minister Shacklebolt with the request that each and every law in that book be revoked and that attempting to enforce a single one of them will earn the perpetrator a term in Azkaban. He refused my request. I no long make it a request, it is now a demand. You have my instructions, if you do not obey within seventy two hours then there are hundreds of half blood and muggle born who have suffered vile atrocities from the purebloods and are itching for revenge. I will happily lead them in a war to wipe you all from the face of the earth. Your traditions and beliefs are an affront to all mankind and will no longer be tolerated; you will receive no further warnings. _

_Comply or die, _

_Harry James Potter.'_

The meeting of the Wizengamot was in chaos as they demanded that Harry Potter be arrested and placed into Azkaban. Someone at the back of the room cast a very loud noise maker spell and brought silence to the room. Two young people then helped Mr Ollivander down into the centre of the meeting hall where he started to speak.

"Members of the Wizengamot, I fear from what I am hearing here today that I am witnessing the organising of the mass suicide of you all. I myself was rescued from the clutches of he who must not be named along with several others he held prisoner, just a day or so ago. The people who rescued us were none other than Harry Potter and his lady. Together those two young people ended the life of over seventy death eaters along with their dark lord, and all of it within a few seconds. Their army must have been the ones who wiped out the remaining death eaters all around the country at the same time. All told there were almost two hundred death eaters who paid the price for their crimes that day. Tell me minister how many aurors does the ministry have remaining?"

Kingsley looked worriedly at the old wand maker "Sixty two Mr Ollivander, we also have thirty hit wizards and ten Unspeakables."

Ollivander looked around at the worried faces of the Wizengamot before he spoke again, "Tell us minister how many of them could we count on to go against Potter and his lady?"

Kingsley looked seriously at the members before he answered "None Mr Ollivander, not a single one." He then sat down.

Ollivander took a deep breath and then started to talk again. "Our Minister tried to point out to Mr Potter that these laws have been in force for centuries, but I put it to you gentlemen, if you wish to see the end of the month alive you should remember what has recently been done to the muggleborn and half bloods of our world in the name of tradition. To those who survived the cruelty of those camps they were sent too, your traditions mean nothing at all, your customs and ways are foreign to them. You have for centuries failed them and allowed bigotry a free hand. Previously you have gotten away with such laws because there was no one to rally the oppressed of our nation, now they have their hero, and take my word gentlemen Mr Potter is a man of his word and he has never failed to accomplish what he set out to do. Now make your decision but make it wisely." Old man Ollivander nodded to the two young ones who had help him before and they rushed to help him back to his seat.

Ron Weasley sat in his brother's kitchen and read the latest edition of the daily prophet and wondered how it was that almost all the wizarding traditions had been made illegal. What right did they have to ruin his plans for the future? He then remembered he no longer had that future because he had deserted Potter and Granger when he was in a temper because they had no food left. In his head a little voice that sounded a little like Hermione said '_that's because you are so ruddy greedy you ate it all_.' Ron had to face the fact that he had made a right mess of things and that his former best friends were not likely to forgive him. After spending years setting them up, Potter to help him to fame and glory and Granger to be his ticket to an easy future he now had nothing, he was not even near to the same county as them when they finished off the dark prat and every body knew it.

Molly Weasley was not a happy woman, her dreams of having her daughter married to Harry Potter were shattered, and her dreams of using the Granger girl as a breed mare for her boys were impossible now. All the old laws she would have used on the witch were now no longer laws and a person could get ten years with the dementors if they tried to enforce them on someone. No her dreams were now just that, dreams, she sighed as she thought about her youngest boy, how on earth was she to get him married off now he was known by one and all as a deserter.

While the remaining pure bloods worry about the muggleborn seeking revenge for what was allowed to happen, and the Wizengamot repeals law after law, together Harry and Hermione quietly left Britain and travelled to Australia to find her parents and the await the birth of their first child. It would be a few years before the British wizarding world heard from them again, and that would just be short visits to their few friends. They were Happy living in a warm climate where there were few bigots and what there were were well spaced out and rarely listened too.

...


	26. Chapter 26 Lord Gryffindor Potter

Disclaimer, If I owned Harry Potter I would never have brought Ron Weasley back into DH after he deserted the hero and heroine. Then again I would never have written those last two books HBP or DH So I definitely am not JK Rowling.

Sept 5th 2136, Hogwarts school.

Hello one and all, my name is Henry Gryffindor Potter, your history professor, and I want to tell you all a little story about the first Lord Gryffindor Potter, and how he got his title, so class pin back your ears and we will begin…

The day started rather franticly for the hero of our tale, Harry Potter, a fourteen year old student who had been illegally entered into a rather dangerous tournament. The Tri-Wizard Cup. Harry woke up late that morning, and he was unable to find his best friend, a girl by the name of Hermione Jane Granger. As Harry searched the castle for Hermione he was approached by his little elf friend and reminded about the fact that the tournament was about to start. The elf then took Harry's hand and silently popped them both to the shore of the Black lake. The little fellow also provided Harry with some Gilly weed that would allow Harry to breathe under water for a little over an hour so that our hero could compete in the task.

Harry found his best friend Hermione tied to a statue in the centre of a mervillage in the deepest part of the lake. As he went to rescue her he also saw his other friend Ron Weasley. While Harry wondered why both his best friends were in the task Hermione was rescued by a Bulgarian competitor by the name of Viktor Krum. Left with no other choice and grumbling about the Bulgarian daring to take his Hermione Harry cut the bindings on Ron and on a young girl he did not even know. he thought it would be wrong to leave the girl behind, alone at the bottom of the lake. Dragging his two hostages to the surface took Harry quite some effort but he eventually completed his task.

As the time limit of the second task of the Triwizard tournament drew to its close the entire area around the spectator stands at the bank side of the Black lake looked like a war zone. It had all started as Harry Potter surfaced from the depths of the black lake with Ron Weasley and the little girl he did not even know. As he reached the platform where people were waiting he saw his best friend Hermione being placed on a stretcher, what set him off was seeing so much blood on the ground where she had just been lifted from.

Leaving Ron behind Harry raced from the water dragging the little girl with him, he left her on the landing platform and then ignoring every one around him he chased after Madam Pomfrey the school healer. "What Happened? What's wrong with my Hermione?" he shouted at the healer as he closed in on them.

Poppy Pomfrey was about as angry and upset as she had been for many, many years, so she told Harry exactly what was wrong with his best friend, and as the old healer suspected Harry's love interest. "That fool from Durmstrang has almost severed her leg just above her knee, pulling her from the lake bed with those shark teeth. It's a wonder she did not bleed to death. Now Harry I have to go and see if I can save her leg."

Harry looked at the old healer that had done so much for him in the past four years and he spoke very quietly, a fiery anger in his eyes practically making them glow. "Poppy do the best you can, because if she loses her leg then Dumbledore loses his life." with that Harry turned away and walked back toward the stands where everyone was gathered.

The first signs of trouble came when an unsuspecting Viktor Krum was hit with a stunning spell so powerful he was hurtled back almost fifty feet. Harry then turned his attention on the judge's stand and before anyone could react he released some of his anger fuelled magic, it hit the base of the stand with a bombarda like spell blowing the entire structure to pieces. His next spells were meant for the judges who had placed Hermione in danger in the first place. Seeing Dumbledore scrambling out of the rubble of the stand Harry hit the old man with an even stronger force than he had hit Krum with.

The supposedly great Albus Dumbledore flew through the air like a rag doll, bouncing off several things before he hit the ground almost forty metre's away. The crowd watched stunned as Harry let loose his anger fuelled magic on those he held responsible for hurting his girl. The crowd began to get over their initial shock and started to quickly move away from the judging area for some safety from the boy who lived, who it seemed was now the truly magically powerful boy who had defeated a dark lord at just fifteen months old, and was extremely angry. "McGonagall, where the hell are you?" Harry yelled looking around for his head of house.

When he had no answer after a minute Harry placed his wand on his throat for a moment as he cast a Sonorus spell on him self. "McGONAGALL, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, YOU USLESS BITCH. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO KEEP YOUR BLOODY STUDENTS SAFE, NOT LET BRAIN DEAD OLD FOOLS PLACE THEM IN DANGER. IF MY GIRL LOSES HER LEG THERE WILL BE BLOOD FLOWING AROUND HOGWARTS." Having finished speaking, his voice loud enough to be heard in the centre of Hogsmeade, Harry started to run for the castle, he needed to get to the castle hospital wing and see how Hermione was doing.

After Harry's show of power no one wanted to get in his way so he had a clear path to the doors of the castle. Harry spent the next sixteen hours holding Hermione's hand as Madam Pomfrey and an expert from St Mungo's worked to save Hermione's leg. Poppy finally looked up from what she was doing, "Harry, Hermione's leg will be fine, we're just working to ensure there is very little scarring now, with luck her leg will be as good as new by the end of next week apart from a possible slight limp."

Outside the hospital wing several people wanted to talk to Harry but none of them dared to enter the ward. Minerva McGonagall had been trapped under the collapsed stand when she had heard Harry yelling at her, and she now paced back and forward trying to find a way to apologise. She actually trembled at what might happen when Hermione was able to tell him that she had been the one who had summoned her to her office and been telling her she was to be a hostage for Viktor Krum in the next event. Hermione was bound to tell him she had refused to be Krum's hostage, and Minerva had kept the girl talking while Albus cast the sleeping charm from behind her. They had placed the girl in the lake against her will, all for some stupid plan that Dumbledore had.

She prayed to all the gods she could think of that Hermione did not loose her leg like Mad eye Moody had, she also prayed that the young girl not be scarred by the experience. As she paced she remembered the power of the spell that had blasted the stands to rubble, it was more, far more powerful than even Dumbledore the supposed most powerful wizard alive, was capable of, she was the only person who was on that stand with Albus that had not been sent to St Mungo's. Several had been sent with rather minor injuries because the staff at the school were afraid that if they were placed in Pomfrey's ward Harry in the state of mind he was in might injure them further.

Finally Poppy stepped into the corridor and saw the people waiting there. "If you are waiting for Mr Potter, then I suggest you all leave before he leaves my ward. At this moment there is nothing that is going to placate him. Placing the girl he is in love with at the bottom of a lake for that fool Krum to hurt is just about the worst mistake any of you have ever made. You Minerva, I have been telling you for years that ignoring your house duties and listening to that old fool would lead to real trouble, but you would not listen; instead you listen to that idiot that holds the headmastership as if he were infallible, even though I have three times diagnosed him as senile. I suggest you all leave. You Aurors, if you are here with the fool idea of arresting Harry, then you go back and tell your boss that Mr Potter was well within his rights to avenge his bonded." She was not certain there was a bond, but as far as she could work out there was no other reason for Harry to become so powerful so quickly.

As everyone around her left, Minerva spoke quietly to her friend. "Poppy could you tell Mr Potter that we all wish Hermione a speedy recovery."

"Minnie, you truly should go find some psychiatric help, Miss Granger may spend the rest of her life with a limp because of you, do you really think Harry is going to be in a forgiving mood? It's highly possible that you and that fool headmaster will not live to see the end of term, they are bonded Minerva, you know what that means, and if you have forgotten let me remind you, an attack on either of them is an attack on both of them. Harry has the legal right to seek retribution," Poppy said rather angrily. She did not like what was becoming of the school she had devoted her life to all those years ago.

It was two days later when Harry was told by Poppy that the headmaster was back. Harry thanked her and without warning he leant over the now conscious Hermione and kissed her rather heatedly. He never noticed the glow of his and Hermione's auras as they kissed, when he ended the kiss he sais he wouldn't be long then headed out of the ward telling her he would return as soon as he could. As he closed the ward door behind him Poppy began to explain to a still slightly shocked Hermione what their glowing auras meant and what her newly bonded Harry had done when he learned of her injury. "That boy is so in love with you." She commented.

Harry walked straight from the hospital ward to the headmasters' office. The Gargoyle that guarded the office moved out of his way without being asked. Reaching the office doors Harry simply walked in and stormed to Dumbledore's desk. Giving the old man a truly evil look Harry began to speak. "Dumbledore, get me out of this tournament. No arguments about it get it done for breakfast or this school will be looking for a new headmaster, and you will be looking for a new saviour of this pathetic world of yours. Oh and don't think you have paid for what you did to my Hermione with a little stay in St Mungo's. If she has a permanent limp, then you die for attacking her." He said then turned and walked away leaving Albus Dumbledore sitting behind his desk in complete shock.

Albus knew he had made a large mistake when he heard from Minerva that Miss Granger was Harry Potter's bond mate. He had also been shocked when he returned from his stay at the London based hospital to hear of all that Harry had done, and that there could be further repercussions if Miss Granger was left with a limp. Minerva was too ashamed to face her two Gryffindors, and the rest of the school was talking about her utter failure as head of house. He was in no doubt that the boy could and would carry out his threat; he knew for certain when the guardian to the headmasters' office had stepped aside for the boy without a word and without warning him that he had a visitor. It was the same reason he had been able to summon Gryffindors sword. Harry James Potter was the legal heir and owner of the castle. As Minerva told him about the power Harry had used without even breaking a sweat, power that was far in excess of his own or Voldemort's, Albus Dumbledore felt a very deep fear he had not felt since he was a small boy.

The following morning Harry helped Hermione into the great hall, she had a rather obvious limp but whether it was permanent no one could say yet. The fact that she was limping at all though was enough to enrage Harry once again as soon as he saw the idiot headmaster as he sat on his chair looking like some demented king looking down on his kingdom.

Harry, whose burst of magic had awakened Hogwarts, had had a long chat with the castle's sentient core and made quite a few discoveries, led Hermione to their usual spot at the Gryffindor table. Once he was sure she was comfortable he stepped up onto the bench and glared at the headmaster. "Albus Dumbledore, your stupid tournament is rejected by Hogwarts and is herewith cancelled. You are a stupid arrogant old fool, three times medically diagnosed as being senile. You are dismissed as headmaster for continually placing students in danger for your own ends. NOW GET OUT OF MY SCHOOL." He said yelling the last few words.

To Dumbledore and everyone in the great hall it came as a shock when a loud booming voice came from the very walls of the great hall, "_**It will be as you wish my Lord Gryffindor**_."

A few seconds later Albus Dumbledore found him self landing in another heap breaking quite a few bones as he hit the paved road outside the school wards; he knew then that he would never be able to re-enter the grounds of Hogwarts. As he lay on the road in pain, one of the griffins that sat on top of the gate posts spoke to him. "_**Albus Dumbledore, for your crimes against the children of Hogwarts, and the Lady Gryffindor. Lord Gryffindor has just declared a blood feud with the Dumbledore clan; prepare to die old man, for a Gryffindor has returned to serve justice to those that deserve it."**_

While Dumbledore lay in the road casting some temporary healing charms that would enable him to return to St Mungo's, Harry was in the great hall promoting Pomona Sprout to the position of Headmistress, and professor Vector to that of deputy. He then appointed professor Sinistra as the head of Gryffindor house. Severus Snape was fired and received a bill from Hogwarts for the amount of pay he had fraudulently received since Dumbledore hired him as a potions professor. Each appointment Harry made was verified by the booming voice of Hogwarts, at Snape's dismissal Hogwarts joined in the cheer that rang out from the students, while Snape stared at the bill that had simply appeared in front of him. As neither Harry nor Hogwarts considered 'Instructions are on the board' as a lesson, Snape had to return every penny he had ever received from Hogwarts plus interest. At the bottom of his note he was informed that both Gringotts and the DMLE had been notified of his fraud.

A moment before Dumbledore was ready to apparate to the hospital; a trunk he had not used in many years was delivered to him by two of the schools elves. In the trunk there was precious little to show for his long life. Most of the things he had claimed to own he had acquired rather dubiously from various students and ex-students during his long tenure at the castle. He had had possession of everything so long he thought it was now all his to do with as he liked. Hogwarts had decided differently and after the elves had sorted out what few things the ex-headmaster actually owned, said that the elves should return all the other property that they could to the rightful owners families.

When Harry finally sat down, his anger a little sated headmistress Sprout declared that lessons would be suspended for the next two days as the staff got organised. She then announced that they would hold a feast in honour of the students from the two visiting schools the following day, all students were invited to take part in a celebration dance to be held in the great hall after the feast.

Hermione, who was still a little disorientated due to the potions she had been fed by madam Pomfrey, ate what she could before she asked Harry to take her back to the hospital wing where Poppy was waiting for her, to check on her leg. "Harry, what's happening? Did you talk to professor McGonagall? I want to know how I ended up almost dying after I had refused to be a hostage for Viktor."

Harry did his best to explain what he had found out and what he had done, he had expected her to be a little angry with him for treating figures of authority the way he had, but was pleasantly surprised when she said she would like to help in what ever retribution he was going to use on those that had treated her as though she was worth nothing.

It was as she finished speaking that they were joined by Ron Weasley Harry's former best mate, "Potter, what's with you? Isn't all that money enough for you, you have to go and claim even more while sticking your nose up at wizarding traditions and then insulting professor Dumbledore. You really make me sick you know that, and get your hands off Hermione…" Ron was shouting until he was cut off.

Hermione in pain, and angry at how she had been treated, had finally had enough of Ron. After he turned on Harry at the beginning of the year she was no longer willing to put up with his stupid angry outbursts. When he told Harry to get his hands off her as if he owned her, her temper snapped, and she let Ron know just how much it had hurt Malfoy the previous year when she had hit him. A really well placed right hook almost broke her knuckles when she hit Ron as hard as she could, lifting him off his feet and knocking him backward onto his butt. "Stay away from us Weasley," she hissed at him as Harry wrapped his arm tighter around her waist and led her toward the hospital wing.

The following morning Harry ordered that all the Weasleys be sent home, expelled from Hogwarts, he swore that no Weasley would ever again attend the school. He was a little surprised when his order seemed to please all the professors, and most of the students which was the opposite of what he had expected. Lavender Brown asked why he was sending them all home. Harry's answer surprised quite a few people, especially the Weasleys who thought that Harry saw them as his family.

"Well Lavender, first you have Ronald, who's greed is universally known as is his vile temper. There is also the rather nasty habit he has of treating people like rubbish, especially Hermione, also preventing other students befriending me as if I am his to control. Next we have the twins, who are the biggest bullies in the school, most of the Gryffindor students are afraid to relax in case the twins pull some cruel trick on them. Next we have the Weasley female who has the nerve to tell other females to keep away from me because she is going to marry me. There is more chance of me flying to the moon on my broom than there is of me marrying a Weasley. Now a Granger would be different, isn't that right Lady Gryffindor?" he said while taking hold of Hermione's hand.

Hermione looked up from the book she was holding and smiled, "Yes milord Gryffindor, although we only need the Muggle ceremony, and I am quite sure that can wait a few years."

It took less than two hours for what Harry had revealed to Lavender to circulate around the entire school. Every female in the castle knew that Harry Potter was off the market, they also knew just how dangerous it could be to even try to seduce him. What Hermione Potter had done to both Malfoy and Weasley was known to all and let everyone know she would most definitely protect her claim on the Potter boy who, according to Hogwarts, was now her husband.

Thanks to Harry's temper and what he had done at the end of the second task of the tri wizard tournament, life inside Hogwarts slowly changed for the better, which led to life in British magical realm to also change. As more and more students graduated with a new attitude to Muggle born and Muggles the laws were changed, old bigotries began to fade into history. Nineteen years later when Rose Potter started Hogwarts there was no longer any discrimination, she was waved off from platform 9 ¾ by her father Harry who was the defence teacher at Hogwarts, and her mother Hermione who was the newly appointed minister of magic. Rose and her two brothers Edwin and Philip hugged each other goodbye, the two boys promising to write. During her seven years at Hogwarts Rose never once heard the word mudblood, she lived a peaceful and fairly happy life as a Ravenclaw. Hermione had often thanked Poppy Pomfrey through the healers long career at Hogwarts, for the amazing work she had done in saving her leg, she had had a slight limp for a few months but it gradually disappeared until she was back to normal, to top it off there were hardly any visible scars to show what she had been through.

Life in magical Britain continued to change for the better and the Potters led happy and full lives.

The Weasley family had moved to Ireland where the young ones attended St Patricks academy of magic, all of them changed their ways a little, except Ron who went through his entire life without manners of any kind and disliked by all for his vile temper and idle ways. He died a lonely old bachelor having never found a woman who would put up with him. Ginny married a Harry Potter look a like who thanks to the Weasley cooking quickly became obese and stayed that way. The twins eventually opened a joke shop and quickly learned that there were not many people like them in the world, and their shop rapidly became a complete flop and they became bankrupt.

Sorry class but we have to end it here as we are out of time. For your homework answer these questions and bring me a short print out of your findings. 1, What is a bond, how many types are there. 2, What happened to Dumbledore? And 3, who was the little elf who helped Harry.

Right off you all go, I'm quite sure you can find another far more interesting story elsewhere.

... ... ...


	27. Chapter 27 To Australia

9

Disclaimer, Sad to say I do not own any of the Harry Potter universe, it all belongs to J. K. Rowling.

To Australia.

It was just three days since the last battle where Harry had reflected Voldemort's curse back at him and brought the wizarding war to and end. Sitting in their temporary dorm taking a rest after lunch, Harry James Potter was steadily getting angrier and angrier at the young man sitting on the bed opposite him.

Ronald Bilius Weasley was once again complaining about his girlfriend Hermione not being willing to have sex with him. Ron seemed to have forgotten that Hermione was the best friend of Harry. The fact she had only been Ron's girlfriend for two days which Harry had repeatedly pointed out to the red head, and in Harry's mind very few if any girls would do what Ron wanted so soon after getting together, did not seem to sink into Ron's head. When he uttered the words "She's just a mudblood bitch, she should be happy to shag me, I'm a pureblood." He had not realised he had actually gave voice to that thought just loud enough for Harry to hear, Ronald Weasley had just sealed his fate. Harry had just fought a war against such pureblood bigotry and he would not tolerate it aimed at Hermione.

Harry had only after the fight with Riddle admitted to himself that he could not live his life and be happy if Hermione were not there by his side every day, just as she had been for the past seven years they were at Hogwarts. It was as he woke from being temporarily dead during that last battle that Harry knew he had fallen in love with Hermione. She had been his sole reason for returning to his awful life and not stopping to be with his mum and dad. It hurt to see her with Ron, kissing and comforting the red head. As he heard Ron who had been his best mate before he had deserted them during a vital mission, say the hated word Mudblood and to be referring to Hermione while doing so, made Harry's blood boil and he silently swore he would not let Ron badger Hermione until he wore her down and got his way with her. He would kill Ron before that happened.

Two days later Harry had slipped out of the castle very early that morning to carry out some business with the goblins. On his return to Hogwarts he entered the Gryffindor common room to hear Ron and Hermione arguing yet again, this time he had a good idea what it was about. His thoughts were verified when Hermione looked first at him and then at Ron before saying, "See I told you Harry would be here soon, I knew there would not be enough time, you need to be patient until I'm ready."

Ron stomped off up the stairs mumbling and muttering and though they could not make out what he was saying both Harry and Hermione knew what it was about. It was then that Harry surprised Hermione.

"Hermione go up and pack what stuff you need for the trip to Australia. Our flight leaves at four in the morning. We, as in you and I are going to go and find your parents; they have been gone long enough. It's time you got to spend some time with two of the most important people in your life and don't argue with me over this."

Hermione with her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide stared at her best friend with a look of shock on her face. She felt it as a blush crept up her cheeks, she had been so busy with Ron that she had ignored Harry since before the last battle in the great hall, and she had completely forgot about him and her parents until that evening. Stammering a little she managed to say "I'll just go up and let Ron know."

Once again Harry shocked her when he stepped in front of her and stopped her from going up the stairs. Putting a little of his magic adding a slight compulsion into his voice he spoke clearly. "No you will do as I said, you will go and get ready to leave. If you go up there to that… to Ron, he will talk you out of it with some dumb excuse that you will believe. No… I will be the one to tell him, if he is still awake. He can wait a week or two to start your next argument. Besides I already have the tickets, no one really needs us here at the castle, most of the time we are in the way, they might get the repairs done quicker if their two heroes are not around gathering crowds of fans into the place. Apart from that you owe me for the time you have been ignoring me. Even having a boyfriend should not give you a reason for ignoring your best friend."

At the mention of arguments, and the thought of not having one with Ron for a while made Hermione feel a sense of relief, she was surprised at herself to think such a thing about her boyfriend but she was truly sick of him pestering her for sex when she kept telling him that she was saving her self for her wedding night. Turning around she made her way up to her room and started to pack away her belongings, being angry at Ron she had not noticed the mild compulsion magic in Harry's voice.

Walking down into the common room with her things packed into her hand bag she saw Harry sitting at the fire place his back pack next to him. "So Harry, how did he take it?"

"He was asleep so I left him a note, we don't need him in one of his moods by waking him up so soon after he fell asleep. We don't have time for his petty tantrums, and stupid arguments," Harry said watching Hermione look at the time. "We need to do some shopping Hermione; we need to find one of those all night places, we both need some decent clothes, maybe other stuff as well considering we will be out there in the real world for how ever long it takes to find your parents."

Hermione nodded her head she knew Harry was right, they were both wearing well worn if not quite yet worn out clothes, they were the best they had after the year they had just spent on the run from the death eaters. Still she had to tell him she was a little low on funds so would not be able to buy much. "Ok, I think I can afford a pair of jeans and some sort of top."

"No need to worry, I got enough cash from Gringotts to last quite a long time. Don't even think of refusing my offer, I owe you so much I'll never be able to repay you." Harry said before she could voice her thoughts.

As they made their way out of the castle Harry thought back to what he had just done, and hoped that the capsule he had just forced a sleeping Ron to swallow did as it was supposed to do, he had paid a lot of money for it after all. He gave a small shrug; he would have to trust that the goblins knew what they were doing. As they left the castle grounds Hermione apologised for ignoring him so much over the past few days. Harry brushed her apology off and gave her a one armed hug as they walked toward Hogsmeade village.

In the great hall of Hogwarts castle two days after Harry and Hermione left, a miserable Ron who had not stopped complaining since he woke to discover his girlfriend had gone off with his best mate to find her folks, sat down to dinner with the rest of his brothers and those who were doing the repairs to the castle. As he ate his dinner he thought about just how much he hated Harry Potter after he let it slip that Ron had deserted them for a warm bed and a full stomach.

He hated his former friend even more now that he had left with Hermione to go to Australia to help her find her parents. After Harry had told their friends what Ron had called Hermione because she would not have sex with him, he wished the boy who lived had been the boy who died. He was hoping to keep Hermione from going after the adult Grangers, knowing that if she found her parents, and knowing for a fact that they hated everything about Ronald Weasley thanks to a letter they had sent him telling him to stay away from her, meant they would do all they could to keep her away from him. He did not want anyone to stop him breaking the bossy bookworm mudblood. She needed to be punished for how she had continually shown him up since the very first time they met, and he was going to be the one to break her until she was nothing but a grovelling baby machine begging for his attention, while stuck at home with nothing to do but look after babies.

As he was shovelling down his fifth helping of dinner he suddenly clutched at his left arm pit, seconds later he clutched at his chest and cried out in pain. Falling face first into the remains of his dinner Ron was dead before anyone could react. Harry's capsule had worked as it should. A fatal heart attack due to over eating was diagnosed without anyone actually bothering to check out the body for a proper diagnosis. Every one that knew Ron had warned him that the way he ate would one day kill him. Even his clingy overbearing mother had warned him it was bad for his health the way he ate as if he would never see any more food.

Sad though they were the entire Weasley family accepted the diagnosis and left Hogwarts to lay Ron to rest along side his brother Fred in the family plot. The only member of the Weasley family who noticed just how accepting they all were at Ron's death and yet seemed devastated at the death of Fred, was Fleur who had married into the family almost a year before. Asking her husband Bill about her observations she learned she was not the only one who disliked the youngest son of Molly and Arthur.

Not a single person left the castle with the Weasley family to attend Ron's funeral. Despite invites having arrived that day by owl post, or had been given by word of mouth the day before, on the day he was buried every one at the castle carried on doing their jobs as if it was a normal day, no one was willing to mourn the git who had called Hermione Jane Granger heroine of the wizarding world a mudblood because she refused to have sex with him. Thanks to Harry telling some of them they were all angry with the red head for the way he had been treating the smartest witch of the age.

In Australia Harry and Hermione had very quickly fallen into the way they had been during the time when Ron had deserted them. Neither of them thought about him very often. They had very quickly fallen into their previous relationship, and became very close once again. The letter letting them know about Ron dying of a heart attack and his funeral, found them five weeks into their search.

Both of them were a little surprised at Hermione's reaction to the news. She was sad about it in the same way she had been sad about Fred's death. Her reaction started her thinking about her relationship with their red headed best friend. Before she had become his girlfriend, after he had returned to the tent she had often wondered what it would be like to make love with him, but after becoming a couple she began to feel different and no longer wanted him in that way, she kept putting taking things to the next level off. She then began to think about how she had left Ron without saying goodbye, doing as Harry had told her instead. Why was what Harry wanted always far more important to her, could she be falling for him. The thoughts she was having made her realise that if Harry were to ask her to marry him that very day she would happily say yes. She had been at his side for seven years and would never willingly leave him. It was quite a surprise to her to realise she was actually in love with him.

The day after they heard the news something Harry had said about Molly and Arthur, reminded her of the tale that Molly had told her back at the beginning of their third year. How Molly had used a love potion to get her and Arthur together. The way she and Ron got together reminded her how Molly had said that if Arthur wasn't really interested in her he would have broke up with her as soon as the potion wore off. She new then that Ron had done exactly as his mother had done. She knew why he was so eager for sex was because he probably had some sort of stupid plot to trap her into that relationship permanently. By the time she finished working it out she was truly happy that Harry had got her away from the red head.

As they were working in the muggle world in their search, and Harry not knowing how to find out without magic, how Hermione was feeling. He set out to make Hermione his by simply courting her as if he and she was a muggle. Visits to the cinema, theatre and some museums plus taking her to several restaurants seemed to be working and he was quite happy that by the time they found her parents they would officially be a couple. He had taken things slowly and three months after they arrived in the country his planning had really started to pay off. They were in a new town and he was on his first official date with Hermione, as the very pleasant evening drew to an end Harry took a risk and asked her to be his girlfriend outside the cinema they had just left.

Hermione's answer to his question was a definite yes. The new relationship was sealed with their very first kiss, as they broke their first kiss due to lack of air they had their first real bit of luck since they arrived in Australia. Harry had pulled Hermione into a tight hug and leaned over to place a kiss on her neck and what he saw made him take a quick intake of breath. There while looking over Hermione's shoulder what he could see across the street was Hermione's mum, she was just entering a large all night super store.

Moving his head so he was next to Hermione's ear he said in as calm a voice as he could muster "Sweetheart, your mum just went into that store over there." He was not quite as prepared as he thought as Hermione spun around in his arms to take a look and almost knocked him off his feet.

As soon as he had regained his balance he found himself being dragged across the street while she asked several questions without giving him time to answer a single one of them. As she made to pull him into the store with her Harry stopped her and turned her to face him. "No Hermione, if we go in there it's highly possible we could miss her inside and not see her leave. We wait out here and then we follow her home, where ever that is."

Harry thought he might well have been right about missing Mrs Granger in the store, because she exited the shop just a few moments later, a newspaper or magazine rolled up and tucked under her arm. They had another stroke of luck when Helen Granger walked home and did not use a car. Harry and Hermione were able to follow her quite easily, though Harry had to hold Hermione's hand a little tightly so that she did not get to excited and do something to scare her mother away.

Harry knocked on the front door of the house that Mrs Granger had entered and stood next to Hermione when Mr Granger answered the door. Hermione said a polite hello and then without warning she rapidly pulled her wand and cast a spell into the house. A rainbow like light flashed through the entire house for several seconds before Hermione said "Hello dad, it's over, Harry won."

Harry stood at the doorstep feeling a little silly, not knowing what to do as Mr Granger had grabbed Hermione in a tight hug while shouting for his wife. Harry had a huge smile on his face as Helen Granger came rushing to the doorway and joined her husband and daughter in the reunion hug. He pictured him self in such a hug when he finally went to join his parents. As he did so he got the distinct feeling that his mum and dad were telling him it had better not be too soon.

'_It wont be mum, dad, I have a family to raise with Hermione first_' he thought as Hermione introduced him to her parents as her boyfriend Harry James Potter. The Grangers invited them into the house and then listened intently as Hermione, with an occasional input from Harry told her parents of the happenings of the past year. Harry asked about the spell Hermione had cast and was surprised to learn that the memory charm and the emergency memory recall spell she had used with her parents permission were of her own invention.

Without thinking Harry gave her a quick kiss in congratulations for being such a genius. Richard looked a little surprised at Harry, but Helen shocked him into being red faced and completely speechless as she smiled at him and asked, sounding quite serious "So when is the wedding?"

Hermione was surprised that her dad said nothing and actually looked like he was waiting for the answer to his wife's question. She decided she should say something, "Mum we have only been together as a couple for a few hours."

It was her father that replied, "Poppycock Hermione Jane… You and Harry have been boy and girlfriend for seven years. Don't try to deny it, we have the evidence in all your letters from Hogwarts, and the way you continually spoke of Harry every day you were home for your breaks."

Hermione joined Harry in being speechless as she looked at her parents in shock when her mother said "I take it you have not got to the stage of sleeping together yet."

Suddenly Richard reached over and patted Harry on the shoulder saying, "Welcome to the family Harry… son."

As Richards words sunk in Harry managed to find his voice "Er, thank you Mr Granger but that's sort of up to Hermione and whether she wants me or not." He stammered.

Hermione looked at Harry and asked "Is that your way of proposing Harry?"

Harry wasn't quite sure how to answer her so he shrugged his shoulders and said "I suppose, I mean… I… oh come on Hermione you know I'm hopeless at this sort of thing."

Hermione chuckled at him and then with a smile she said, "Well then the answer is yes Harry." Harry looked at her for a few seconds his mouth open and then fainted.

"I thought you said he was a real hero?" Helen chuckled as Richard and Hermione lifted Harry onto the couch.

Hermione had a laugh in her voice as she answered her mum with, "I don't know if I should feel insulted if the idea of being married to me scares him into fainting."

Richard could not resist saying something and with a small chuckle he said "I think he was over whelmed by the idea of his luck changing so much that you actually chose him, after all you kept telling us he has the worst luck.

When Harry woke up it was to a three way conversation about choosing a date for the wedding. "How about the end of the month." He said as he sat up.

Harry was quite surprised when Richard said "Yes the twentieth would be perfect, we have three days off that week. Give us time to set the house up for the reception after. We can show our girl off to our friends between now and then. What do you think Helen?"

Helen looked at Harry and smiled "Twentieth it is then, will that suit you Hermione dear?" with out waiting for a reply she stepped over to a calendar up on the wall and with a permanent marker she wrote '_Hermione's wedding_' on the square that had the number twenty in the top left.

Hermione turned to Harry and very quietly asked him if he was ok with all that was happening, and that it was happening so fast. Harry had a huge smile on his face as he answered "It seems my wildest dreams are going to come true, and far sooner that I ever imagined when I dreamed of the day I would marry you."

It was Hermione's turn to look surprised as she looked at him her mouth hanging open a little. Harry reached up and with a single finger he gently closed her mouth. "Some thing wrong?" he asked.

"You dreamt of getting married to me?" she managed to ask in a slightly husky sounding voice.

Harry blushed as he answered her "Quite often, ever since you were petrified. Even when you were chasing after Ron during sixth year."

Hermione did not say anything to his admission, instead she leaned forward and kissed him with all the love she could put into a kiss. Harry despite her parents being there could not resist kissing her back with just as much feeling.

It had been a rather hectic month as preparations were made for their wedding. It was a little bit more so for Harry, he had been informed by his future mother in law that she and Richard intended to stay in Australia. They had bought a house and their business was beginning to expand. Her telling him that Hermione was seriously wanting to stay with them but would do what ever her husband wanted. "If you wish to go home and be plagued by the reporters and the rest of the wizarding world continually expecting you to fight and get rid of every up and coming bad wizard, then Hermione will be at your side. Though I myself would like and prefer it if you chose to stay here with us, where those sort of things are not expected. Where at the end of the day you can go home to your family. Enjoy some peace in your life."

Harry did not reveal what he had decided to Helen or Richard, and he had a hard time not telling Hermione. His decision had kept him rather busy for most of the month, and it was only sorted the day before the wedding. The wedding was a normal Muggle wedding and went off without a single reporter and no wizards present. It was according to Hermione absolutely perfect.

Arriving at her parents' house for a reception that was being held in the large back garden, Hermione was pestered by many to open their wedding gifts. Doing as everyone seemed to want, she opened the presents and thanked the person it was off. As she came to the last small box she could find no name tag or writing on the wrapper. Intrigued Hermione opened the small box carefully and placed the wrapping to one side, lifting the lid she discovered a set of house keys accompanied by a note from her new husband. On the note was the address of a house. A house that was just three hundred yards from her parents' house on the other side of the road. Hermione passed the note over to her mother who read it out to those interested.

'Our new home, 341 Bushby Street.

I love you.

Harry.'

Harry watched the faces on the Granger family and was pleased with him self when he saw them all take on a more relaxed look. He knew at that moment he had not wasted his time and money in finding and buying a house. He also knew Hermione need no longer worry about whether they were staying in Australia or going back to Britain. A few weeks later the two Potters enlisted in remedial classes for people who had missed out on their education. Their class mates were all people who had lived to far from a school in the vast interior of the Australian continent. Quite a few of those class mates had done their schooling via radio and the two Potters had quite a lot of catching up to do. Hermione was quite surprised when she discovered that without Ronald Weasley to influence him, Harry really enjoyed the lessons. One year after starting to take those lessons they both enrolled in a dentistry college.

Helen got quite a surprise during that year when at thirty eight years old she found her self pregnant. Both she and Richard had given up hope of ever having any more children by the time they had left England to live in a new country. Hermione found to her delight that she was to have a baby sister.

Six years after arriving in Australia Harry and Hermione Potter both worked in the Granger dental clinic. Three months after taking up their positions as junior dentists Hermione revealed to Harry that she was pregnant.

Harry Potter was one very happy young man, he had all he had ever really wanted in life. A nice family, a wife who loved him, and a son on the way. Hermione found her self just as happy as her husband, she too had all she wanted. The fact that they were quite popular amongst the clients of the clinic added to their happiness. They were no longer freaks or outcasts, the fact that surreptitious use of their magic might well have helped to make them popular they saw as a small bonus. Over the next five years the Potters added another boy and two girls to their family. None of them ever considered returning to the land of their birth

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	28. Chapter 28 The Locket

Disclaimer, Sad to say I do not own any of the Harry Potter universe, it all belongs to J. K. Rowling.

The Locket.

She stood in the entrance hall staring out of the open main doors into the dark of the night. Her mind was in a turmoil the likes of which she had never had before. Her body was still tingling from the most wonderful kiss she could have ever imagined, it was her reaction to the kiss and the last words that had been said to her that had her in such confusion.

She had spent the previous night and the entire day with her new boyfriend as she consoled him over the death of one of his many brothers. Fred had died just after she had thrown herself at Ron and kissed him the day before, during the great battle that had taken place on the castle grounds. Then just a few minutes ago the wizard that had ended the war had asked if he could have a quick word with her before leading her out into the entrance hall.

Harry had stopped them near to the main doors and turned to face her. That was when everything changed. Harry pulled her into a hug then he had spoken quite clearly, she could not miss hearing the hurt in his voice as he said "Do me a favour. If the real Hermione Jane Granger ever turns up give her this from me." Harry then kissed her.

It was a kiss that was filled with love and passion, a kiss that had made her heart race and her hormones hurtle into top gear. It was a kiss that made her legs wobble and need of a change in her underwear. It was unlike anything she had ever dreamed about and it made her totally forget the kisses she had shared with Ron over the past few hours.

Without another word Harry had moved away from her and walked out of the castle, she heard him disapparate with a slight pop noise as she slowly recovered from what had just happened. It was quite a while before she left the spot where Harry had left her, and with thoughts rushing through her mind made her way back to Ron's family the Weasley's.

Two days had passed, and the Weasley family was sitting at the Gryffindor table discussing the coming funeral of Fred. Hermione was sitting with them but was still puzzling over what Harry had said and was trying to work it out, she could not get that kiss and his words out of her mind. She just couldn't understand it at all. Ron was getting increasingly annoyed at her because although she spent her time with him and his family, she had not kissed him or allowed him to kiss her. He was also annoyed that she had been the last to see Harry and would not tell him what he had said or where he had gone.

Ron was about to lose his temper and start yelling when she had moved his arm off her shoulder so that she could stand up, but he was stopped before he got a single word out when Luna Lovegood walked over to them and asked Hermione if she could help her with a task in the hospital wing. Red faced with anger and angrily grumbling about his woman going off somewhere without him Ron sat back down at the Gryffindor table and watched the two women walk out of the hall.

Half way up the first flight of stairs leading to the hospital wing Luna stopped and turned to Hermione. "Can you tell me where Harry is?" she asked in her quiet way.

"I'm sorry Luna but I don't know," Hermione admitted with a sad look on her face.

Luna looked into the older woman's eyes as she said, "So it's true then, the Nargles told me you were no longer the Hermione I once knew, but I didn't want to believe them, so what happened to the girl who always knew where her man was?"

Hermione looked at the woman who had become one of her best friends and said "Not you too?"

Luna had to ask what she meant and Hermione found her self telling Luna about her last meeting with Harry and what he had said before he had kissed her. There was a look of anger in Luna's eyes as she asked "And you went back to Ron even after Harry had kissed you?"

Hermione looked a little shocked at Luna's question, "Of course I did! Ron's my boyfriend, he needs me, he just lost his brother," she replied with conviction.

Luna looked as if she was trying to hide her anger as she started back up the stairs toward the hospital wing. Hermione followed her convinced that Luna was jealous that Ron was her boyfriend. A little reluctantly she followed the young blond up to the hospital wing where she found Madam Pomfrey waiting for her.

"Ah miss Granger… if you will accompany me to the treatment room we can get started." The stern healer said walking away from the two younger women.

"What treatment, why do I need the treatment room? I feel perfectly fine," Hermione said as they followed madam Pomfrey.

"I haven't told her yet madam." Luna informed the matronly woman.

They were in the treatment room when the old healer turned to Hermione. "It's about that awful scar you got from that vile Lestrange woman. Luna has an odd but viable theory for a way in which we may be able to remove it. It should also be relatively painless too. Her theory is based on genetics, she thinks and I concur, that if you were subjected to two doses of polyjuice potion, taking the second dose while still under the influence of the first dose then there will be sufficient reversal of your genetic structure to remove the scar and to prevent its reappearance when the polyjuice wears off. Now step into that curtained off area and remove all that you are wearing, we don't want any risk of contaminating the polyjuice. It took Miss Lovegood quite some time and effort to obtain samples of your hair that predates the scar. The first sample came from your home, and the second came from your bedroom at your grandparent's home."

Hermione stared at her friend as she worked out what they were suggesting, it did not take her long to see the possibilities of Luna's theory. She smiled as she thought that there was a very good chance of the polyjuice working, taking away the vile scar that had left the word '_MUDBLOOD_' highly visible on her arm. She entered the curtained off area with a smile on her face after she had thanked Luna for being such a good friend.

When Hermione called to let them know that she was ready, Luna and Madam Pomfrey entered the area. Madam Pomfrey carried a goblet of the thick mud like potion and placed it on the treatment tray next to the bed they would be using. Looking at Hermione the old healer tutted and pointing at a small locket that Hermione was still wearing she said "Hermione dear you will have to remove the locket."

A look of almost horror appeared on Hermione's face at the thought of removing the locket; she had worn it constantly since Ron had given it to her on her birthday at the beginning of her sixth year at Hogwarts. She outright refused to take it off and even threatened to injure them seriously if they tried to remove it.

Both Luna and Madam Pomfrey knew that there was definitely something wrong the moment Hermione threatened them; they both knew it was not something that she would normally do, especially over a cheap silver plated little locket. When Luna attempted to take hold of the locket Hermione actually thumped her in the face and swore at them both. Seeing Madam Pomfrey step forward Hermione launched her self at the healer and Luna with her fingers outstretched like claws and screaming that she was going to kill them.

Poppy Pomfrey might have been old but she was not slow, and she was no slouch when it came to wand work, before the screaming Hermione had got anywhere near her she had raised her wand and stunned her. Hermione fell back onto the bed unconscious. Luna rubbing at her slightly swollen cheek stepped forward and tried to take hold of the locket.

With her eyes wide Luna looked up at her mentor and gasped "Poppy it seems to be attached to her skin."

Poppy leaned over the unconscious young woman and visually examined the locket. "Shit, I have only ever heard of one thing that could meld something to the flesh like that," she growled angrily. Pulling her wand she cast several special diagnostic charms and spells, she was not at all happy when she got the results. "Luna go and fetch Shacklebolt." She told the young one she was training. "I'll prepare Hermione so that she is decent when you return, be quick, I want to get this sorted as quickly as possible, oh and keep this to your self for now, go."

Twenty minutes later Luna returned with Kingsley Shacklebolt. Entering the curtained off area they saw Poppy had covered Hermione in two sheets, there was a small square cut out over the area between her breasts where the locket was. Turning to Kingsley the still angry healer asked him to cast his Auror detection and diagnostic spells on the locket. Shacklebolt did as asked and as he read off his findings he cursed, "Who the hell has cast enslavement charms on that thing? I don't think I have ever seen so many on such a small object. Who ever cast the sex slave charm will be lucky if they don't get lynched, doing such on thing on the girl who is being celebrated as a hero of our world."

"I've tried twice to remove them but they are far too powerful, I would guess that they have been in contact with something very powerful, that or they have been repeatedly re-enforced." Poppy told him as he stood at her side scowling at the vile little locket.

An hour later with the help of Daphne Greengrass and the Patil sisters Poppy, Luna, and Kingsley all let out a relieved sigh as their combined magic finally destroyed the dark magic charms and spells on the locket. Poppy was then able to carefully remove the locket along with the small amount of flesh it had melded it self to. After carrying out a small skin graft she asked Luna to once again prepare Hermione for the experimental polyjuice treatment.

Kingsley Shacklebolt entered the great hall, knowing who had given a girl he thought of as a friend a locket that would turn her into a sex slave, he glared around the hall until his eyes locked on a family of red heads who were just preparing to leave to bury their dead twin. He called several Auror's to him as he strode toward the Weasley family. When he reached them he had to force down some of his anger that was causing sparks of magic to escape him.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley I am arresting you for the use of slave charms on Hermione Jane Granger, in an attempt to enslave her as your sexual plaything, you do not need to say anything but what ever you do say I will make sure is heard at your trial." Kingsley said as he signalled his Auror's to manacle the red haired young man.

Ron with a look of fear on his face turned to his mother and said, "You promised they were undetectable,"

Even before Kingsley could give the order two of his men were arresting Molly Weasley on the same charges, he added that she would also be charged with the use of illegal dark magic on a minor. He then ordered his men to take them to the holding cells at the ministry. It would be a very long time before either would taste freedom again. It did not surprise the old Auror just how many people in the great hall of Hogwarts were attempting to get their hands on the two Weasley's. It did surprise him to see that the only one to get close enough to Ron to actually hurt him was his brother George, who had hit Ron so hard several of his teeth flew across the hall, leaving Ron dazed and with four teeth missing along with a broken jaw.

Up in the hospital wing Poppy gave Hermione the antidote to the sleeping potion she had forced into her. Hermione stood completely naked in the curtained off area as Poppy and Luna did several sterilising charms around them before handing the young woman the first of the polyjuice potions. As she stood there the two women with her watched as her skin rippled and bubbled, slowly she changed shape a little, her breast were a slight bit smaller, her muscles not quite as defined and firm and her face looking as she did when she was fifteen. The vile word on her arm had also been replaced by normal skin and flesh as was the new scar on her chest, the shape of the locket being replaced by a thin pink mark that had been there after her injury at the ministry.

Fifteen minutes later Hermione drank down the second of the potions and once again her skin bubbled and rippled as she slowly changed into a nine year old Hermione. Luna kept her company over the next hour and to pass the time she told the younger yet older girl about the locket and the dark magic they had found. When Luna told her how it had been quite difficult to remove the dark magic because it had some how been strengthened by someone or something, Hermione told her friend about the vile things that they had been searching for and destroying over the past few months, she then told her how she and Harry had worn the evil locket for quite some time before it was destroyed. Luna nodded and then carried on telling about the people that had helped to remove the locket. Hermione was absolutely furious when she was told that it was meant to gradually turn her into a sex slave.

'_I am so glad that Harry kissed me, if he had not I know I would have slept with Ron that night_' she thought as the polyjuice began to wear off. Both young women were celebrating when Poppy returned to them. Luna was celebrating because her theory had been proven correct and Hermione was celebrating because the awful scar did nor reappear on her arm when she returned to her normal size and shape. As a small bonus the small patch of skin that had been grafted between her breast did not appear either, there was no trace of it at all.

As the two young women left Poppy to make their way down to the great hall Hermione was once again thinking about Harry, about how she had been treating him since Ron gave her that evil little locket for her birthday, she remembered the kiss and what he had said to her, not quite knowing why she called out in her mind '_Harry_ _love I'm back, where are you?_' She was so shocked when she heard him reply '_Godrics Hollow'_ that she almost fell down the stairs. By the time they reached the great hall Hermione Jane Granger was wearing a huge smile.

One month later Harry and Hermione were sat in the court as the two Weasley's were tried and found guilty. As Ron was led off to start his fifteen year sentence in Azkaban he saw his two former best friends sitting holding hands, he felt sick when he saw the engagement ring on Hermione's finger. He would have yelled and sworn at them if he were not silenced, his magic bound and manacles on both his arms and legs. As he was pulled from the room he heard the judge sentence his mother to life with no chance of parole, he also heard his father as he disowned both him self and his mother and banished them from the Weasley family. It was only then that he began to think that his jealousy of Harry James Potter might have been something stupid to allow to grow the way it had.

It was a sad young couple who left the courtroom hand in hand, both of them sad about the betrayal of yet two more people they had trusted completely. Arthur spoke to them as they passed him and apologised for not having seen what his wife was really like. "None of us knew Mr Weasley," Hermione said as they walked away from the family they had once felt a part of.

One year later Mr and Mrs Potter moved into a house in oxford, they would never enter the magical world again. As they grew up their four children would be home taught about magic while they still attended the normal school. Like their parents they would stay away from the world that had caused so much pain to their mum and dad, their children in turn would continue the way of life that Harry and Hermione had started. It would be almost three centuries before a Potter stepped foot in the magical world only to discover it was still a backward society.

...


	29. Chapter 29 Parseltongue

If you don't know by now that JKR does not publish her work on this site then you should. I for one am most definitely not the famous writer.

A/note, just another way of getting rid of Ron.

Parseltongue

Harry stepped up to the broom closet Hermione and Ron had just entered and with a flick of his wand the door opened. He had been so close behind them that they had not even had time for a kiss. "That disgusting display a few minutes ago was enough for me you lying pair of traitors," Harry hissed before he bound and stunned Ron and grabbed Hermione by the arm. Dragging her out of the closet and disarming her before she could do anything, he placed his wand point on her neck and forced her to walk up to the headmasters' office.

"I don't know who you are or what you want, what I do know is that you are not my Hermione. The Hermione I have loved for the past seven years would have never lied to me the way you did… so who are you?" Harry demanded once he had pushed her into the office and locked sealed and silenced the room.

Hermione looked at him as if he had gone crazy. Her temper was trying to get the better of her but she knew she had to hold it back, what ever had happened to Harry she could tell that he was on the verge of actually hurting her as if she were a death eater. "Harry… what the heck is wrong with you? Why are you acting this way? You know who I am; we've been together for to long for this sort of behaviour."

"Look woman, if you actually are a woman. I fell in love with my Hermione Granger when she gave me my very first hug. Each year I have grown to love her more… no one has any idea how hard and painful it has been for me to keep that from everyone so that that slime Riddle never found out. Now I know my Hermione so well that I know she would never lie to me, nor would she kiss a guy she has hated since he nearly got her killed over six years ago, so where is my Hermione?" Harry demanded getting impatient.

"Harry what are you saying? Why do you think I'm not me? When have I lied to you?" she asked beginning to actually worry about what she might have said to make him think she had lied to him.

Harry pointed to a large dish on the desk. "See that bowl, it's a pensieve. If you really are my Hermione take a look at the memory in there, just dip your face in the surface a little."

Hermione looked at the bowl and stepped toward it, she was running through everything she had said to Harry since they woke that morning but could not see where she had said anything that could be a lie. Dipping her face into the surface of the memory she found herself falling into the memory.

What she saw when she got her bearings, was Harry's memory of meeting them just after they returned from the chamber of secrets…

_Ron and Hermione; both with their arms full of large, curved, dirty yellow objects, Ron with a broomstick under his arms. _

"_Where the hell have you been?" Harry shouted. _

"_Chamber of Secrets," said Ron. _

"_Chamber – what?" said Harry, coming to an unsteady halt before them. _

"_It was Ron, all Ron's idea!" said Hermione breathlessly. "Wasn't it absolutely brilliant? There we were, after we left, and I said to Ron, even if we find the other one, how are we going to get rid of it? We still hadn't got rid of the cup! And then he thought of it! The basilisk!" _

"_What the …?" _

"_Something to get rid of Horcruxes," said Ron simply. _

_Harry's eyes dropped to the objects clutched in Ron and Hermione's arms: great curved fangs; torn, he now realized, from the skull of a dead basilisk. _

"_But how did you get in there?" he asked, staring from the fangs to Ron. _

"_You need to speak Parseltongue!" _

"_He did!" whispered Hermione. "Show him, Ron!" _

_Ron made a horrible strangled hissing noise. _

As the memory finished she found her self back in front of Harry. "Harry, I don't understand… that memory it's exactly what happened, I don't see where I could have lied to you." She said completely confused by what was happening.

"So you did not lie to me? Well let me show you another memory…" Harry said as he removed the first memory and then placed another memory into the bowl.

Hermione went through the same procedure and found her self in the Hogwarts library with Harry; their younger selves were discussing the Basilisk and Harry's ability to hear it and to speak to it.

"_It's like I said Harry, look here it says that it is the ability of the parseltongue speaker to physically create and feel the vibrations..._

_Snakes do not have hearing as we know it, their hearing is what we might call 'feeling the sound'; they pick up the vibrations and interpret those vibrations._

_That's why we could not hear it like you could. Parseltongue can not be taught copied or mimicked by anyone who does not have the gift… So that is why you could speak to the basilisk when no one else could…"_

Hermione dropped out of the memory and almost collapsed as she remembered the conversation they had had and all the studying on parseltongue they had done. Harry was ready as he caught her and led her to the couch.

"Ok Hermione, what did you hear Ron say in my memory?" Harry asked.

"He made some sort of awful hissing noise, why what has that to do with this?" she replied.

"If you are my Hermione, use that amazing intelligence you have. That was my memory of what happened not so long ago, don't you think that if Ron was saying something in parseltongue it would sound like a proper word to me? That I would understand it?…" Harry said and then left Hermione to think things over.

"Harry? … I'm so confused, I can remember knowing I have been in the chamber but when I try to picture what I saw, well there is nothing there…" Hermione said trailing off.

No more than two minutes past when Hermione's temper burst, "That bastard, I must have been bloody obliviated. I'll kill the sodding red hea…," Hermione stopped mid word and began to look panicky. "Why would Ron obliviate me? Why did I kiss him? Oh gods Harry what has he done to me? How would I know if he's done something like raped me, or something?"

"Hermione try to settle down love, I have a wand now and as just about the most powerful person in the castle I will be able to remove an obliviate if he has used one on you," Harry tried to reassure her, he knew it could not have been Ron who had obliviated her, he was no where near powerful enough to over come Hermione's mind.

"Harry, please I have to know… it's going to drive me insane if I don't know why I think I was in the chamber, please try." Hermione begged.

Harry nodded and then sat in front of his best female friend pointing his wand at her head. "I'll start with a weak finite, and if that doesn't work then I'll increase the power a little at a time until we get it, ok?"

Hermione nodded and waited for him to cast the spell. After three tries Harry reached a power level enough to remove the obliviate. Hermione's memory came flooding back to her.

_Ron had led her to the second floor bathroom to try and open the chamber and once they were inside the bathroom he had grabbed her wand from her back pocket and then forced her back up against the wall. He had then stuck her hands to the wall with a sticking charm before he undid her jeans and slid the zip down. All the time he was telling her that she wouldn't be missed till the battle was over, and if Harry survived then Ginny would get Harry and his money, mum will get the son in law she wants, so I think it only fair I get my reward for keeping you two apart and I'm gonna get it now. The last thing I want to do is to marry you like mum wants. I want a good pureblood wife like Lavender, not some pushy know it all mudblood. He was busy trying to pull her jeans down as she struggled kicked and screamed at him. He had just got her jeans past her knees when Percy walked in and went crazy with Ron. Percy forced Ron to pull her jeans back up and to fasten everything the way it had been._

_Hermione was thanking Percy for saving her when he shocked her. "I've only delayed the fool for now, seems mums potion has worn off. That's probably because this fool forgot to give it to you while in that shitty tent. Well that won't matter once this war is won, mum can re-dose you and Potter, though why the hell she would want a mudblood and a stupid half-blood in the family I don't know. Meanwhile this fool will have to keep it in his pants; fool seems to have forgotten that mum wants you in the family for your blood, and she would never let him marry some one who is not a virgin. Now Oblivi… it was at that point she woke with several fangs in her arms and the belief that they had been down to the chamber and she really fancied Ron._

Harry was furious when she told him what had happened but he knew they were running out of time. Hermione wanted to go off and kill some Weasleys but he thought up a much better punishment. To get her to calm down he needed to come up with something fast. "Hermione, you have to listen… I have to go out there and face Riddle in the next few minutes." He was saying when she grasped what he meant.

"Harry you can't, not alone, I won't let you. Remember I'm in this to the end." She protested rather loudly.

Harry gave her a sad smile, "I have Hufflepuff's cup here, I already destroyed it a very short while ago. That means there is just two left. So I have no choice, it's what we worked for Hermione, it's my destiny remember."

"Two, there can't be two not if the cup is gone, Dumbledore worked it out. There is just that ruddy snake." Hermione declared certain that the old man would not miss lead them.

Harry tapped his forehead, "This is the last one. Now you have to trust me Hermione love, if Riddle is surrounded by death eaters then I won't be able to fight him, if that's the case I'll let him hit me with the killing curse without putting up a fight, and according to Dumbledore's calculations I will survive it, but I will have to fake being dead until I can be sure of winning.

Now what I want you to do is going to really take some doing, I want you to stick with Ron and when it's all over lead him to that bathroom. I'll meet you there, actually I'll probably be waiting for you there…" Harry trailed off and then started to walk away. He then stopped turned back and without warning he gave her a kiss that curled her toes and left her need of some clean underwear.

Hermione made a very quick visit to the hospital wing, and after taking a flushing potion to rid her body of any potion she might have taken, she found that her hate for the one who had caused so much upset and hurt since her first year was back in full force. It took little to realise that Percy was right, Ron had fed her some form of love potion, she also knew that it was Molly Weasley who had supplied it to Ron; she was forever going on about the one big happy family and had thought nothing of giving Arthur a love potion to snare him.

Three and a half hours later Hermione led Ron into moaning Myrtles bathroom and giving the best acting performance she ever had, she leaned against the wall and gave Ron a sultry or at least what she hoped was a sultry smile. She prayed that Harry hurried up she was beginning to feel sick and she was sure she would be heaving up if the filthy Weasel touched her.

As Ron stepped toward her he suddenly froze in his tracks. The wand that was pressing into his neck caused his head to lean to one side as he tried to see who his assailant was. Harry peeled his invisibility cloak off while keeping his wand pressed into the red heads neck.

"Are we going to kill him here Harry, seems somewhat appropriate to me, this is after all where he was going to commit his crime and rape me?" asked Hermione sounding far too eager to have her revenge on Ron.

"No love of my life, I have a far better idea than killing him in a girls bathroom, you watch him a second, if he tries anything, 'then' you can kill him," Harry replied glaring at his former male friend.

Harry stepped up to one of the taps and whispered "open," in parseltongue and then stepped back as a hole opened up where the sink had been, "Right love bring it over here, I think the Weasel wants to go for a ride, don't you?"

Hermione grinned in a way that even made Harry shudder a little, "Harry sweetheart, I do believe I must be rubbing off on you… what a brilliant idea… Come to think of it, rubbing off on you."

Hermione forced Ron over to stand beside Harry who again had his wand pressing into his neck. "You first Weasel," Harry told him prodding him harder with his wand.

Ron was grinning slightly as he stepped up to the pipe that led down to the chamber, he was thinking just how stupid Harry was because they were going to try to kill him in the chamber, and they had not disarmed him, so when they came out of the tunnel, he Ron Weasley would be waiting for them his wand at the ready, he could get rid of Potter at last and then he could finally teach the mudblood what it felt like to have a real pure-blooded wizard use her.

Harry gave Ron a shove and sent him face first into the pipe, he and Hermione both watched as Ron Weasley vanished into the darkness below them. Harry shouted down the tunnel after Ron was out of sight "Lucky you can speak parseltongue now Weasley, It'll help you get out of there wont it?" Harry then hissed "Close," once again sealing the chamber of secrets.

Hermione then pulled Ron's wand out of her sleeve placed it in one of the sinks and with a quick spell it was reduced to ashes. Hermione finished the deed by rinsing away the ash. "Don't think he will be going anywhere without his wand Harry, I always thought he was stupid keeping it in his coat pocket, but it seems to have been a handy little habit."

Holding hands they made their way to the great hall where they made a great show of saying goodbye to people and explaining to everyone that they urgently needed to rescue Hermione's parents and might not be back for three or more weeks. The Weasley family did not seem too happy about what Harry and Hermione were doing, but the two of them simply ignored the red headed family. A huge crowd stood on the castle steps waving and wishing them luck as Harry and Hermione walked out onto the large lawn. With the wards being down Hermione took hold of Harry's hand and in front of dozens of witnesses to prove when he was finally missed that the weasel wasn't with them when they vanished they were gone.

Their first stop was at the Weasley home the Burrow, several powerful Reducto spells and a hand full of fire spells the rickety house was totally destroyed along with everything that the Weasley family owned.

Another quick apparition by Hermione took them both away from Ottery St Catchpole.

Just a few moments later they both appeared in Hermione's bedroom at her parental home. Hermione led Harry out of the bedroom and when they reached the top of the stairs Hermione called down, "Mum, Dad, are you home?"

Harry looked at her in shock when two excited voices answered that they were in the kitchen. "I… I thought your folks were in Australia?" He almost whispered.

"So did everyone else, Harry. Sorry about the little deceit love, but it seemed the best way to hide them, was to hide them right here. I mean what mini death eater would think even for a moment, that goody two shoes mudblood Granger would lower her self to mislead her best friends. The mini death eaters thought my folks were living down under so it would be a waste of time looking here." She said as she led the way down to the kitchen.

They entered the kitchen with Harry trying to wipe away the tears of laughter that she had caused with her comment about 'goody two shoes'. "Hermione Jane Granger did I ever tell you that you are the most brilliant person I ever met?"

"Harry dear I do believe you have said words to that effect on previous occasions," she said jokingly poking her nose in the air before she gave way to a laugh.

The two teens had reached the kitchen table still lost in their own little world before they were brought back to earth. "It's over then?" asked Mr Granger.

"Yes dad it's over, Harry was amazing as always, oh you've met my boyfriend before I think, Harry love, mum and dad, better known as Helen and Richard." Hermione said moments before she was almost crushed as her parents hugged her for all they were worth.

Helen gave Harry a polite welcome hug and then let her husband step forward. Richard shook his hand and said happily "Hermione has always said you would win in the end, she has always been so sure of you being a great wizard. So what will you do now it's at an end, where will you go?"

Before Harry could answer Hermione spoke up, "You will have to get used to having him around dad, whether he knows it or not, I do not intend to lose him again, I intend to marry him sometime in the next few weeks so there are no more love potion attempts. I also intend to increase the Potter family as soon as I can. Harry has always wanted children and after seeing so much death and destruction I want to see some new hope, new life, free of the horrors of war and hate."

Harry stared at Hermione for several seconds his eyes looking slightly misty. "That's the best idea since forever." He exclaimed sounding like he just hit the jack pot.

"So Harry, don't look so surprised we have expected this for the past six years," Helen said smiling "Cup of tea?"

"Oh I do hope your first is a boy sweetie," Richard said making Harry look at him in disbelief.

Helen gave a chuckle at the look on Harry's face, "Harry dear ignore the old man over there, he's been wanting to be old enough to be grandfather for years, ever since just after Hermione was born actually. He wants a grandson to spoil, has done ever since we were injured in a car accident that prevented us having the large family we wanted."

Harry went to bed that night with his head spinning. All his dreams were coming true. Sometime during the day it seemed he and Hermione had become boy and girlfriend, and then during the early evening he had somehow become unofficially engaged and was soon to become a married man and father. The life he had always wanted to share with Hermione was now becoming a reality and he could not have been any happier despite the fact he had not been given a choice.

He was just drifting into sleep when he was awakened as he felt Hermione pushing him to the side of the mattress while sliding in beside him. Opening his eyes to check he was not already asleep and dreaming he looked up into Hermione's eyes.

"What?" she asked and then answered his silent question. "It was creepy in my room, took me a while to figure out why. I couldn't hear you… I've just spent the last ten months going to sleep every night listening to you breathing, so I couldn't sleep alone." With that she leaned over and kissed him good night before she snuggled down wrapping her self around him as she did so.

Harry woke late the next morning to find Hermione was still asleep next to him. He could not stop the yawn and the full body stretch that forced itself on him. He had not slept so well for at least two years and he knew instinctively that it was because Hermione had been holding him through the night. Feeling no urge to move yet he took stock of where he was, taking in things about the room he had missed the night before.

As he lay there enjoying the comfort of his position he felt Hermione's arm wrap around his waist, only a fraction above his usual morning problem, he found himself wishing she had wrapped her arm just a little lower. With a small sigh he lay and watched as she breathed slowly and steadily into his neck. Hermione shuffled a little pulling him closer and moving her head into a slightly more comfortable position on his shoulder. It was at that time that he thought 'I'm going to be married to an angel'.

"Who can also be a devil," Hermione chuckled into his shoulder as she lowered her hand to take hold of his morning problem through his boxers.

"I said that about you out loud didn't I? I thought you were asleep…" he mumbled resisting the urge to move his hips.

"You did," she chuckled then continued, "Harry are you ready for this, to be a father? I know I am so ready to become a mother, to create new life, to hold our baby in my arms."

"Hermione love I don't know if any bloke can be truly ready to become a father, but what I do know is I want to be one, I have since I was about eight, then at the beginning of fourth year, maybe even before that I wanted to be father to your children. Remember the Yule ball. I looked at you looking so very beautiful and as I watched you dance I imagined you in a living room decorated for Christmas, dancing with a scruffy haired little boy with green eyes, both of you laughing and having a great time while I stood to the side rocking our tiny daughter in time to the music." He almost whispered to her.

Hermione looked up at him as best she could from where her head rested on his shoulder, "That sounds like a perfect Christmas Love." She then gave his not so small problem a small squeeze "I hope you haven't been wasting anything from this, this morning."

Harry could only grunt as he enjoyed the sensation, a huge smile on his face.

"I want a pee, and then I want to start on some practice." She told him smiling shyly.

"Practice? What do we need to practice?" he asked a little puzzled.

"Baby making Harry, baby making." She said as she forced her self to get up out of bed. "I hope it's not as uncomfortable or as painful as I've read about," she said as she walked to the door. "Still that's only for the first time."

Harry grimaced knowing what she was talking about; she was not the only one who read those romance books she kept hidden in her bag while they were on their mission, though he would never in a hundred years admit to having read several of them while standing guard over a tent that no one could find. Harry took a page out of Hermione's book when she returned from the bathroom where she had gone to use the toilet. It was quite obvious she had also had a shower. As Hermione had done he left the room and did his morning ritual ending with a very nice hot shower which was so much better than the cold or at best luke warm showers they had had in the tent.

It was almost three hours later when Harry and a sore and slightly limping Hermione made it down stairs. When he commented about her parents not being about she shrugged her shoulder and said with a chuckle "They are at work Harry, it's how they pay the bills. I would think you would be grateful they are not home after all the noise you made yelling my name out,"

"Me yelling your name, if I might remind you, it was you screaming for me to go faster or do it harder, it was also you shaking the house when you thundered out 'Oh god', several times if I remember clearly." He chuckled back.

"Yes well I never thought it would be that good, if I had known I would have seduced you years ago." She answered with a smile.

As they enjoyed their banter Harry prepared them a meal, asking several times where various items were kept. They were still enjoying their banter when they finished their meal. "If I didn't feel quite so sore, now would be an excellent time to take you to my own bed, we haven't tried it out for comfort yet, and I think we really should practice as often as possible. Don't you agree love?" Hermione said with a grin.

Harry groaned, "Please Hermione, I might have been a little tired before we came down, but please remember we have had time for a meal and a rest, and my recovery time seems to be rather short."

After a short chuckle at their joking around they made their way to the living room. Hermione put the TV on and they settled back on the couch to watch an afternoon movie. That was where Richard and Helen found them when they returned from their surgery, Helen pressing her finger to her lips to let Richard know she wanted him to keep quiet, quickly sorted out the family camera and with the flash of the camera turned off as she took a photo of them snuggled together thinking she had managed not to wake them up.

A little later as Hermione went into the kitchen to make a pot of tea, she was followed by Helen. "From the way you were walking it would seem you had a rather tiring night, so can I take it you have already started trying to add to the Potter family?"

"Mother…" Hermione said in the way that only a daughter can, "For your information we have only been practising, and we did not start that until this morning," she said before grinning like a fool. "It was so wonderful, I do believe I should have ignored your advice and seduced Harry sometime in our third year… all that time if I had known that I could have felt so good the time would not have been wasted."

"Not wasted dear, we parents don't tell you no sex just for fun you know, people need to be ready, to be old enough for the responsibility of bringing a child into the world." Helen said in her lecture voice that sounded so much like her daughter.

"Things are a little different in the magical world mum, we have a potion that is 100 percent reliable and each girl is offered it monthly from when they reach their twelfth birthday. Perhaps I should talk to madam Pomfrey about letting the girls know how good sex can be." Hermione said seriously.

Helen looked shocked "You're thinking of telling twelve year olds that sex is good?" she exclaimed and then she looked a little annoyed before she smiled at the look on her daughters face. "Hermione Jane Granger that was not funny." She said walking out of the kitchen with a tray full of tea cups.

Hermione following with the tea pot chuckled "Well got you didn't I, revenge for that photo you took."

Five weeks later Hermione came out of the bathroom with a small piece of plastic in her hand, "Its positive Harry love, I'm pregnant," she told her fiancé who was sitting on the bed with a rather eager look on his face.

"So we did it then, you and me… I'm going to be a dad… we are going to have the most magical boy in history, we have to with you being his mum." Harry said bouncing up and down like a toddler on a new bed.

"Harry sweetheart, it could be a little girl. I hope we do have a boy first time, but I also want to have a little girl, so I can't say I'm bothered either way because we have years and years ahead of us don't we?" she told him not wanting him to get his hopes up over a boy and then be disappointed if they had a girl.

"Hmm, don't little girls have a habit of wrapping their dad around their little fingers?" he asked with a small chuckle, "and I only said boy because I don't want to start calling our baby an 'it' like I have heard others do."

"Should we tell mum and dad now or should we wait till the weekend?" Hermione wondered out loud.

"Well considering that Saturday is going to be a busy day, what with the wedding and all that, then Saturday night we leave for our honeymoon and wont be back for two weeks, I think we should tell them tonight, it will give them three days to get used to the idea…" Harry answered her quietly, having no worries about how news that Hermione was expecting a baby would be received.

It was on that day they received a letter from Minerva McGonagall informing them that Ron had gone missing sometime after the battle, and two days ago the Malfoys had been charged and tried for killing him and disposing of the body. As the only remaining death eaters who were freely roaming around the castle they were obviously guilty and were sentenced to life in Azkaban.

Harry chuckled as he read the letter, "Typical of those in the magical world. You would think they would learn from their mistakes, but it seems they still take the flimsiest of evidence as concrete proof that someone is guilty. Still the Malfoys deserve all they get, they should not have been left free just because they sat out the last half of that battle. Between them they have killed almost as many as Riddle did."

"Seems dear little Ronniekins version of parcel tongue did not get him out of that chamber." Hermione said without a trace of remorse in her voice.

"Well love it doesn't bother me in the least, justice has been served. If we had gone to the DMLE about what he did and planned to do, he would have gotten away with it because he is a pureblood, and you are just a waste of magic muggleborn. While I think about it, I'm not to sure I want to go back to that life. We definitely don't need to return to Hogwarts and the bigotry, not after the year we had, we could both sail through our NEWTs but no doubt they would not allow that to happen. I think maybe we should do some work on bringing ourselves up to date on non-magical schooling, maybe get some qualifications like your dad wants. Later we can take some of the exams and eventually we can home school our kids. What do you think?" Harry said as he examined some of the pamphlets they had about night school.

After their minds were made up the Potter family having discovered Harry had a fairly large amount of money in his vaults, only ever visited the magical world when they needed to visit Gringotts, and that only happened about once every five or six years. Their first born was a boy who grew to look like a perfect combination of Hermione and Harry, the three other children they had, all girls, looked quite a lot like their mother but with jet black hair. Two of the girls had eyes the same colour as their father which had been a small surprise. When they were old enough none of the children wished to go to a magical school even though they were given the choice. They had all wanted to remain where they were with their friends.

The life of the Potters was not perfect, but living in the Muggle world they were far happier than they had ever been in the magical world. Both Harry and Hermione lived their lives without ever regretting giving up the world of magic for the peaceful life they had as simple dentists.

...


	30. Chapter 30 Graduation day brings changes

Disclaimer, If I owned Harry Potter I would never have brought Ron Weasley back into DH after he deserted the hero and heroine. Then again I would never have written those two awful books HBP or DH So I definitely am not JK Rowling.

Graduation day brings changes.

Hermione Weasley was about to follow her seventeen year old daughter into the defence classroom but stopped when she heard her ask Harry a question. It was a question she her self had often wanted to ask but had never had the courage to ask.

Rose walked into the defence classroom to take a last look around before the graduation ceremony started when she saw Harry Potter the defence instructor. Walking up to his desk where he was busy doing some paperwork she took a deep breath and asked. "Professor can I ask you a question that has nothing to do with school?"

"Yes Rose, what is it you wish to know?" Harry answered.

Rose had often wondered about the tales her father and mother told, but she had also wondered if they were true because it did not really seem possible from what she had seen. "Is it true that you and my mum were once best friends?" she asked with a slight apprehension, she knew that many people that the professor did not know claimed to be his friend.

Harry looked at the young woman in front of him and decided he would tell her the truth. "Yes Rose, Hermione was the best friend I ever had, for a long time I thought she was something more than just a best friend."

Rose looked a little surprised at his answer, it sounded as if he was admitting that he had been in love with her mum at some stage. She had to know more and so she asked him, "What happened, why are you no longer friends?"

Harry looked at Rose for quite some time as he decided just how much he should say, in the end he decided on telling the young woman the whole truth so that maybe she would not make the same mistake with Malfoy her mother had made with Weasley. "Actually Rose I am not quite sure what happened… Your mother was the smartest person I ever met. Her intelligence never stopped amazing me, it was one of the things I loved about her, but then sometime during the first few weeks of our sixth year here at Hogwarts, something changed. It was as though she turned off her brain altogether, she started to do stupid things, then for some reason she never told me she started to treat me like I was her enemy half the time, that is until she wanted a shoulder to cry on, then she came to me for support. She threw our friendship away supposedly because she thought I was cheating in the potions class with the book I was using. Now all the changes I used are written in all the potion texts. Things got a little better when we went off on a mad quest to rid the world of Tom Riddle, until the useless jerk she married deserted us in the middle of nowhere so he could go home to his mummy, so she could feed him up. She cried over the jerk for almost a month, and spent the next month simply being miserable, then when he turned up four months after he left us she forgave him right off… She could have been anything she wanted, even the minister of magic but she threw away all she had worked years for and married the bigoted jerk. Now look at her, mother of the poorest magical family in Britain, stuck with a fat idle git and just being a faded version of your grandmother Molly. She threw away my love and my friend ship for someone I class as a traitor. I hope you never make the same mistake Miss Weasley." As soon as he finished his rather long rant he went straight back to his paperwork. He looked up again when Rose spoke again. Instead of being angry with him as he expected she just seemed rather sad as she said.

"I never believed Amy Longbottom when she told me my dad was the worst student in the school, or when she said her dad told her that my dad could not be trusted not to just up and leave someone in the lurch, or simply turn on his friends for no reason. She was telling me the truth wasn't she. It's why my dad can't get a decent job, no body trusts him do they?"

Harry looked at the girl almost in tears but instead of trying to help her he said quite gently "Your dad could have gotten a decent job, his problem is that he is far to idle to even try, he has always been that way, that's one of the reasons I think your mother was so stupid. After all the years of trying to get him to do his home work, or helping him in his class work she could not see just how bone idle he is. How she ever believed him when he said he loved her I don't know, he never once in all the time I knew him did he show anything but his hate toward her."

"He still does," Rose whispered just loud enough for both Harry and Hermione to hear her. "I wish you had been my dad."

Harry could not help the sad smile that appeared on his face, "Me too Rose, me too. For five years I had thought your mum would be the mother of the next Potter generation, it… well never mind I have to get some of this paperwork done before I can go home."

Rose looked up the sadness still in her eyes "Professor, why did you never get married?" she asked already knowing the answer. Harry Potter was still in love with the Hermione Granger he had known.

Harry did not answer for several seconds and then he verified for her that she was correct, "I only ever loved my Hermione."

Outside the classroom Hermione stood with silent tears rolling from her eyes. Taking a deep breath she stepped into the room. "Hello Rose, Harry. You were right Harry, your Hermione was stupid. She threw it all away because she was scared of a fake prophecy. She threw away her best friend and even knowing that you loved her she was too scared to face things and threw it all away. She should have never been placed in Gryffindor. She still loves you Harry, always will."

Harry looked at the still good looking woman he had loved so very much and had no idea what to say to her, there was no mistaking the fact that she had heard every word he had said to her daughter. So he sat and waited for the yelling to start as she told him off for telling her daughter such things about her father. As the silence went on he tried to think of something to say but his thoughts were interrupted as Rose broke the silence.

"You should leave him mum, there is no reason for you to stay with the fat lump now. Leave him and you can give the professor an heir for the Potter family before it's too late."

"Rosie it's to late now." Hermione said as she looked sadly at the man she was still in love with.

"No it's not, you know as well as I do that witches can have a child well into their sixties, and you two still love each other after all this time. Don't be a coward again mum. That greedy bum I have to call my father will miss nothing but your cooking, I know that you have not 'slept' together since that stupid half wit Hugo was born." Rose near shouted.

"And what makes you think that Harry would ever forgive me for choosing Ron," Hermione answered just as fiercely as her daughter had spoken.

"Because he still loves you. If he didn't he would already have an heir to carry on the Potter name, you just need to take that one small step." Rose said while looking at Harry and seeing the hope in his eyes.

Hermione looked conflicted as she tried to find an answer, then she looked at Harry. "Harry?"

Harry looked straight into her eyes and answered her question "It's your choice to make Hermione."

Rose smiled knowing she had won, her mum would no longer have to live in poverty, buried away in the hovel that was all they could afford. But more her mum could start to study again, she could spend time on her favourite pass time, doing what she missed most in her life, she could have books to read other than the school books they had to beg or borrow because they could not afford to buy books and food."

Hermione slowly walked the length of the classroom until she was standing right in front of Harry. "Harry can you forgive me for being so stupid?"

Harry had nothing to say, instead he stood up and pulled Hermione into a tight hug, that after several long seconds became a kiss. It was a kiss that showed her what a true kiss filled with love was like. As the kiss broke Hermione was once again shedding tears. "You can move into Potter cottage when ever you want after the ceremony, even this afternoon if you want."

Rose quietly left the room to go join her class mates. She had a huge smile on her face even though she had just decided that neither of her parents would be at the ceremony. Her father would not be there because he was to idle to travel beyond the local pub, and her mother would not be there because she would more than likely be busy getting reacquainted with her best friend Harry. She was proven wrong an hour later as the ceremony started and standing looking at her with pride on her face was her mother, next to her smiling with slightly swollen lips stood Harry Potter.

Neither Hermione or Rose had much to collect from their former home after packing what few things were worth taking with them they both stood in the little living room side by side as Hermione told Ron. "You will need to make your own food from now on. I'm leaving you and Rose is coming with me, don't forget you need to pick your son up at the station in an hour, and don't bother to come looking for me. I will be where I should have been all these years."

"So Harry wins in the end eh? I always knew you loved him. So go on then off you go… oh just one thing before you go, no matter what happens from now on, I still got you first, I was the one who you gave children too so I still beat Potter, I got what I wanted." Ron said as if he was gloating. "The idiot should have used that book like I did, I did give him a copy after all."

"And what book was that?" Rose asked angrily.

"Twelve ways to woo a witch, or something like that, worked too, just like the twins said it would." Ron answered before he picked up his copy of Quidditch monthly and flipped it open as if it was a normal day.

As Hermione and Rose left Ron was hit with two exceptionally painful hex's that would continue to cause him pain for the rest of his life, and as it was a domestic dispute according to the law there was nothing he could do about it.

Just one year later Rose was just about as happy as she had ever been when she was allowed to attend the birth of her half brother and the sister she had always wished for. Hermione ended up providing Harry with three new Potters, two boys David and Benjamin to carry on the name and a girl who they named after their old transfiguration professor Minerva. Harry was finally happy with his life. After so many years of loneliness and pain everything was going well for him. He had a wife he had loved for as long as he could remember, he had enough money that he did not have to work if he did not want to, though doing nothing would have driven him nuts, so he worked part time at the job he loved, teaching at Hogwarts.

Hermione was also truly happy for the first time in over twenty five years, she now had a wonderful family and husband, she wanted for nothing, she had a huge library, and she had a part time job writing and producing her own small news paper. She still regretted the years she had missed with Harry due to a silly mistake but she could truly say she was now happy.

On her twentieth birthday Rose Potter, '_formerly Weasley until she changed her name legally_', married Jeremy Longbottom. Harry wore a huge smile as he walked her down the aisle, his words on that day of her graduation had made her look rather critically at her previous boyfriend Scorpio Malfoy, and see him for the bigot he was. She had dropped him even before Harry and Hermione got married and that happened rather quickly. She had been with the Longbottom boy for two years to the day that day, having met him for the first time since leaving Hogwarts at her birthday party. Like his father Jeremy had changed quite a lot since leaving Hogwarts and they had hit it off instantly. The new Longbottoms went on to have four children, three of them girls, the youngest being a boy.

Harry and Hermione were together as husband and wife for a little over a hundred years, and when she died she only had to wait a week before she was joined by her husband on their next great adventure.

... End


	31. Chapter 31 Reconciliation

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books.

A/Note, this is a bit of an odd one that Merlin started on his own before he recruited me, so it deserves its place in the odd ideas folder.

Next point. For those readers who don't like the stories starting out with some Hermione bashing, well we have found we rather enjoy starting out that way just to see how many ways we can get them back together.

Those who have been complaining about using firearms instead of magic in our stories, we think your idea is rather silly really. Muggleborns know all about guns etc, so why on earth would they not use them. Dead is dead whether killed by a spell or a bullet. If we were in a position like those in the stories are we are both quite certain that we would use what weapons we know to be effective. And to point out to one reviewer readers are not only reading to read about magic. Now on with the story.

Reconciled.

No one had heard Harry when he had arrived at the house they called headquarters so there was no welcoming committee. Tonks who had been his escort had left him as he entered the house because she had to get to work and was running a little late. The first thing Harry did on entering the house was to make his way toward the voices he could hear coming from some where toward the end of the hallway hoping to surprise them and maybe get another hug out of it from Hermione, he was harbouring feelings for her and he really loved it when he felt her in his arms as they hugged.

"But mum do we have to be nice to him, he nearly got us all killed at the ministry. Hermione was even more hurt than I was," Ron Weasley was saying as Harry had almost reached the open doorway where he was brought to a stop by his best mate's words.

"Yes Mrs Weasley I nearly died. Harry is far too dangerous to be around. None of us want to be near him, we don't want to be dragged into anymore dangerous situations. We want nothing to do with him anymore," Hermione said backing up Ron.

Harry heard Ginny, Luna and Neville, the other three teens who had followed Harry to the ministry the night his godfather died, as they also said they wanted nothing more to do with Harry James Potter because of what they had gone through that night at the ministry.

Mrs Weasley looked at the five teens with a look of sadness "From what you said at the hospital wing, it sounded to me like Harry told you all to stay at school. It sounded to me like he had not wanted to drag you into what might have been a trap. You know it has taken years for Dumbledore's plans for Harry to get this far, and you lot are going to ruin all we and the order have worked for. Dumbledore will not be very pleased."

"That's not the point mum," Ron said exasperated "we have made up our minds; we will have nothing to do with Potter any longer."

Harry then heard a voice he really did not expect "They are right Molly; the little bastard got my only friend killed because he is too stupid to learn not to rush into things, and he can't be trusted not to do it again and get more people killed. It should have been him falling through the veil." He heard Remus Lupin say in a hate filled voice.

Harry turned from the doorway; silent tears ran down his face as he silently made his way up to the master bedroom. Sitting on the bed he ran the conversation he had heard over in his mind time and time again trying to see if he had misinterpreted what was said but each time he came to the same conclusion. He was completely alone now, his friends did not want him around, the girl he thought he would grow old with thought so little of him and their friendship and the elders had been using him. '_Well stuff them, I can get along just fine without them, bunch of bloody gits_.' He thought as he lay back on the bed.

An hour after sitting on the bed Harry began to make some rough plans. First he called for the two house elves he had befriended. "Dobby, Winky,"

Two very quiet pops announced the fact that the elves had arrived, Harry looked down at the two little beings who were probably his only friends in the entire world now. "How would you two like to bond to the Potter family?" he asked the rather excited elves who were happy to have been called by the great Harry Potter. Harry went to bed that night with the knowledge that other than his two elf friends and Tonks no one knew he was in the house.

At ten am the following morning Harry stood unseen under his invisibility cloak looking down from the top of the stairs and watched as everyone left the house heading for the subway and their half hour tube train ride to Diagon Alley. Their destination Gringotts bank and the reading of Sirius Black's will.

Dumbledore had had Harry brought to headquarters after telling him he was not to leave the house at all, because for some reason he decided it would be too dangerous for him to attend the will reading of his godfather. He told Harry he thought there might be a plan to kidnap him either before he entered the bank or as he left.

Harry had decided differently, a school teacher should have no say in whether he should be at the reading of his godfathers' will. Especially the idiot who had been too stupid to tell him things he really should have known years before, so that he could have been trained and prepared. An old man who's stupidity had led to the death of so many, including Sirius. An old senile fool who was using Harry in some plan or other without telling him anything about it. What he thought of when he thought about Dumbledore was he was a stupid old man that had just got his Godfather killed, and he would no longer listen to his bull.

Harry knew there were far quicker and safer ways to get to the bank than walking to the nearest underground station and then going through London on the underground railway, and he was about to use one. '_Elf travel is far safer_' he thought as he watched Lupin the Weasleys and Hermione leave.

As far as Harry was concerned Sirius died because of Dumbledore, and the old man did not care. The self inflated egotistic old fool who thought he was free to play with peoples lives how ever he wanted to. Harry was going to show all of them that Harry James Potter did not need any of them. With no friends and getting nothing but pain and misery from living in this stupid Wizarding society, it made no sense for him to stick around and wait for another attempt on his life. It was time to grab what he could and leave them all behind.

As the front door of the house closed behind the last Weasley, two quiet pop sounds announced the arrival of the two elves. "Hello Dobby, Winky. Are you sure the wards won't stop you from taking me to Gringotts?" he asked his pair of happy friends.

Dobby nodded his head rather vigorously while Winky answered "It be easy for house elf master Harry." With those words the two elves took hold of Harry's hands and two seconds later Harry was standing in the foyer of Gringotts.

Just thirty five minutes later Harry was sitting in a rather comfortable chair in the office used for the reading of wills, waiting for the arrival of all the other people who had been named in the will. As soon as he had arrived at the bank, which was but two seconds after leaving number twelve he had been taken into an office and spoke to the Black family vault keeper. Between them they had gone through the will.

Harry told the vault keeper about the conversation he had overheard between a number of the people named in the will. He had been asked to provide the Goblin equivalent to a pensieve memory of what he had heard. After the Goblin had viewed the memory they spent several minutes making a number of decisions as they read the will again. Harry's first decision was to have number 12 Grimmauld place locked down while it was empty. Every one would be either out doing their thing for the old man, or they would be here listening to the will reading. It would be locked down so that only he and those he personally invited could enter; he did not care that the order, the Weasleys or Hermione could not get in to remove their belongings.

Harry had been sitting in the will reading room having finished going over the will, just two minutes when people began to arrive; first to arrive were the Malfoys. Draco and his mother Narcissa. They were soon followed by Dumbledore who immediately tried to send Harry away. Dumbledore was prevented from having his own way and doing what he wanted, by Harry totally ignoring him and the Goblins and their rather sharp swords pressing into his neck. The Tonks family were the next to arrive followed closely by Hermione and the entire Weasley family and finally Remus Lupin walked in.

As soon as they all settled down a rather tall Goblin stood and called for quiet while he read out the will. Harry sat looking forward to feeling the small joy of some minor revenge he was about to get on those who had turned against him; they were all about to receive a shock…

Deep in his thoughts Harry had not heard the first few words spoken but he was pulled from his thoughts as he heard Dumbledore mentioned….

…To Dumbledore whose real name is simply 'Brian', '_the fool having added the other names thinking it made him sound important_,' I leave the knowledge that as you sit listening to this, complete and full reports of your theft of two million Galleons from the Potter vault have been sent to the DMLE, the ICW, and the board of the school governors. Oh reports of how you lied about being Harry James Potter's guardian have also been sent along with those reports. Also charges of kidnapping and child cruelty should soon be brought against you.

To Arthur and Molly Weasley, you will receive a bill for the money you stole to pay the Hogwarts tuition fees for all your children. Return of every Knut that you stole, also from the Potter vaults, must be made. Payment within the next month will be required to prevent the possession and sale of all your lands and property to repay the stolen funds. If there are insufficient funds then you will be taken into indentured servitude for the new Lord Black until such time as you have repaid every Knut, including all interest accrued.

To Ronald Bilius Weasley, despite what your parents stole from my godson the fact you were thought of by Harry as a brother 10,000 galleons, would have been yours along with the request to take care of Harry. Alas that has all been withdrawn just as your friendship with Harry has once again been withdrawn, just like in your fourth year, backstabber.

To Ginny Weasley, as it was with your brother so it will be with you, deserting a friend has its price.

To Fred and George Weasley as Harry's partners and only magical friends you will receive 1000 Galleons at the beginning of each year until WWW has been established in business for ten years. Handing any of this 1000 Galleons to other members of the Weasley family will cause the bequest to be recalled in full.

To Hermione Jane Granger, from what I have witnessed of your dedication to Harry and his ever growing love for you, and my belief that you will become the next Lady Potter I leave 1 million Galleons along with all the books from the four Black family libraries of over forty thousand books and scrolls. This bequest has been rescinded due to your association with thieves and the withdrawal of your support, love and friendship from my god son Harry James Potter. Deserting a friend has its price.

To my dear cousin Andy I leave 1million Galleons and I offer you your place within the Black family once again. Let it be known that when the last Lord Black disowned Andromeda he was a fool and he was in the wrong. Welcome back Andy.

To my young cousin 'call me Tonks' you will receive 1 million Galleons when you resign from the thief Dumbledore's private little band of sycophants and thieves, your parents are good people Dora, don't shame them by helping a thief to rob Harry, he is after all your cousin.

To Cousin Cissy, now that I am finally able I will grant you your greatest wish. Your marriage to the Malfoy family is from this day forth annulled, all monies handed over to the Malfoy family as a dowry will be reclaimed to the Black family fortune. All profits and interest on said dowry will also be returned to the Black family fortune, this measure is due to the broken vows of fealty made by the Malfoys to the Black family.

To the Order of the Phoenix I leave you with the knowledge that the Black family home at number 12 Grimmauld place has been locked down, find your own place because none of you will ever be allowed to enter it again.

To my brother in all but blood Remus John Lupin I leave 1 million Galleons on the understanding that you take my place as Harry's godfather, take good care of our boy Moony. This bequest has been revoked due to the failure to comply with the above request, and for once again abandoning Harry in a time of great stress and need for love and guidance, just as you abandoned him when he was a toddler. Deserting a friend has its price. Pray that both James and Lily forgive you, I will not.

To Draco no name, I banish you from the house of Black for all time. Never again in all perpetuity will anyone with the blood of the traitor Lucius Malfoy be accepted into the Family of Black, so mote it be.

To Harry James Potter, Earl of Caledonia, Lord Potter of the house of Potter, I leave the remaining monies, properties, holdings and vaults, and any other miscellaneous items not mentioned in this will, plus the title of Lord Black of the house of Black. I also leave you with the knowledge that you have been recognised as an adult since your fourteenth birthday when you should have officially taken up the headship of your house, which the thief Dumbledore prevented you doing.

The total silence in the room seemed to lie like an icy blanket for several moments as all the people in the room tried to digest what had just happened. Narcissa her wish fulfilled and now once again a Black, and free from the evil that was the Malfoy's, was the first one to find her voice. Standing she approached Harry. "Lord Potter, might I have a word in private with you before you leave?" she asked quietly.

Harry looked up at his distant family member and the mother of his most hated rival at Hogwarts and wondered just how long she had wished to be free of Lucius Malfoy. Smiling at her he quietly replied "Certainly Narcissa, if you would just take a seat here with me," holding out his hand offering her the seat next to him that had remained empty.

The Weasleys and Hermione, as well as Remus were all trying to work out how their betrayal of Harry that had been voiced in the kitchen of Black manor had been revealed, and how it had been used to change the will. Not one of them had known that Harry had been at headquarters, simply because he had not left his room during the few hours that he had been there, until it was time to watch them leave. No one knew that he had also been authorised to make changes to the will. Hermione came up with the idea that Sirius had some how tied monitoring charms within the house to the will.

Harry being the new lord Black with new information about the people named in the will, information that Sirius had not known at the time the will was made had been allowed by the Goblins to make all the changes to the will that were made, thanks to a clause that the no longer trusting and lovable Sirius had placed at the head of the will. Along with the proviso was information proving his suspicions about the theft of Harry's money. The Goblins had insisted on a pensieve memory of the conversation Harry had over heard and once it had been witnessed and confirmed that to allow the will to stand unchanged would be detrimental to the new lord Black, plus the Goblin proof of those suspicions of theft to be true they allowed Harry to make what ever changes he wished.

Hermione began to doubt her earlier decision as she sat and listened, Sirius had truly thought that the friendship she and Harry had shared was something more than simple friendship, and she was not sure how she felt about that. It was not the money or the books, that started her thinking, it was knowing from Sirius words that Harry had fallen in love with her and she had turned her back on him. Added to that to find out that Dumbledore and the Weasleys had been stealing Harry's money had her rethinking her previous decision. Praying that what had happened with the bequests had left Harry a little confused and he had not yet had time to think it through, she prayed he had not found out what they had said in the kitchen only the day before. Hoping he did not know enough to get too mad at her, she made her mind up to tell him her own version of what had happened and what had been said about him before he heard it from someone else. She prayed that he would forgive her lapse in judgement and that they could continue on as they always did. She was the next one to speak to Harry. Slowly she approached him as he sat talking quietly to the ex Mrs Malfoy.

"Harry?" she called to him quietly.

Harry looked up a very cold look of hate visible in his eyes, "What do you want Granger, surely you don't want to talk to me, aren't you a bit to close to me, after all what was it you said to Mrs Weasley?

'_Mrs Weasley I nearly died. Harry is far too dangerous to be around. None of us want to be '_near_' him any longer; we don't want to be dragged into anymore dangerous situations. We want nothing more to do with him_,'

I think were your very words. Well guess what? I no longer want to be near you, or anyone else that tells them self lies and shifts the blame onto me."

"You heard? …oh god Harry, I am so sorry, I… I…" Hermione said as tears began to fill her eyes.

"Granger what are you here for? You going to grovel so I'll let you have the money and the books, well piss off, I hate gold diggers. Piss off back to your bunch of thieves and liars." Harry said coldly as he beckoned the Goblin guard over.

"Oh Lord Potter did you know that the Black family has two of the largest private library's in the world amongst their possessions, the largest is way beyond priceless as it contains just first edition books and scrolls, some from a thousand years before Jesus was born," Narcissa said with a slightly mischievous grin that only he could see. She had heard all about Granger and her love of books from her evil off spring.

Standing up Harry was led by the Goblin out of a side door, he motioned for Narcissa to follow him, taking a small file folder that had been made into a portkey from the Goblin and holding onto Narcissa's hand he activated the portkey that would take him to his ancestral home, leaving behind a crying devastated Hermione Granger who truly regretted her stupidity in listening to Ronald Bilius Weasley.

Harry did not even know the woman who he had left Gringotts with, one thing he did know was that he could not leave her there to be at the mercy of Draco and the other death eaters. He had known from the look in her eyes when she heard she had been freed from Lucius Malfoy by having her marriage annulled by Sirius, that she was far more than pleased. There was a look of joy that could only come from someone who had been a captive without hope suddenly being blessed with freedom.

Within two days of their arrival at the Potter home Cissy had told Harry about her life with the cruel and hate filled Lucius and his son, who she said was even worse than his father because he had no ability to restrain him self and often lashed out at her making her fear for her life more and more as he got older.

Late that afternoon she had caught a glimpse of Harry with his shirt removed and having seen the scars and bruises that covered his entire back she had questioned him about it, having been told of his life at the Dursley house she organised for a healer friend of hers from Ireland to visit them.

Harry, thanks to Cissy, had been on a strict regime of potions and spells, as well as some hi-protein foods daily for a full month to heal the damage done to him while growing up. The healer had done things that should have been done while he was in his first year at Hogwarts, repairing his body and allowing his magical core to begin to recharge to its full capacity, after being constantly drained fighting the bodily damage done that would have left a non-magical in a wheel chair. The time while Harry was healing and he was unable to use his magic on the healers' orders, was spent with Cissy teaching him about the pureblood society and their idiotic etiquette and beliefs as well as quite a good deal of the things he would need to know to be the head and lord of two houses and him teaching her about the non magical world.

At the end of the month Cissy was unable to ignore the rather remarkable changes that took place during the healing that Harry had undergone. He no longer needed his glasses and he had grown several inches, added extra muscle and weight to his previously scrawny body, he now looked like a well muscled fit and healthy young man, and not the scrawny boy he had been. Despite his young age he stirred feelings in her she had never had before.

Harry was not shy about anyone seeing him naked, he had become quite accustomed to that sort of thing whilst living at his aunt's house, so he often walked down for breakfast dressed in just his underwear.

While living at Number four Privet Drive it had not been unusual for one of the Dursleys to enter the bathroom while he was in there and ignore him like he was one of the fittings, or a piece of furniture. His aunt had rigorously checked that he was only using cold water every time he used the shower while ignoring his nakedness. Dudley had often taken his pals into the bedroom or bathroom to show them his weakling little cousin and the latest set of bruises. So when he walked about the house with no shirt on and in his boxers he gave no thought to it at all.

Cissy on the other hand having been raised in a pureblood Wizarding household and then living with Lucius since she was fourteen years old was far from used to seeing a male in a partially undressed state, and it was beginning to have some effects on her body she had never felt before. She was getting some quite pleasant tingles that seemed to dance in the area between her legs, and her breast.

Six weeks after they arrived at the new house, on the morning of his sixteenth birthday, Cissy went up to wake Harry because he was due to take his last breakfast growth potion, having been declared fit by their healer the night before. He had slept in a little beyond his normal time and she did not want him to undo all that had been done by missing his last potion.

Entering Harry's bedroom she discovered that Harry slept in the nude, his bed covers all lay on the floor leaving him completely exposed to her gaze. He was fast asleep with the usual young mans morning problem showing that he was definitely no longer a little boy, in fact as far as Cissy could remember from what little she had seen and heard about men, Harry was far from being little.

Hesitating and then taking a deep breath before forcing herself forward, Cissy walked over to his bed and gently shook his shoulder to wake him while she still stared at his rather large endowment. Harry really took her by surprise when he woke up glanced around the room after looking at her and smiling. It seemed he had no embarrassment at all as he lay on the bed still aroused and not even attempting to cover it up.

Harry of course had been in the same situation more times than he could count, ever since he had started to wake up with a morning problem. His aunt Petunia had simply walked in on him to drag him from his bed at least four times a week, and after the first few times he had begun to enjoy the thought that she probably only did it because the huge fat body size that his uncle was, did not extend to his man bits and she just wanted to see what a real one looked like. He had no idea that his flaunting himself at his ugly aunt in that way had made him a bit of an exhibitionist.

Cissy had no idea where the words came from, or how she let them escape from her mouth as she said aloud "I wonder what it would feel like to sample that Mr Potter?"

Those words startled not only Cissy but Harry as well. Being a hormonally driven young man who had a very beautiful woman in his bed room practically licking her lips at the sight of him being naked, he did almost the same thing she had done and said without thinking "I think we should find out shouldn't we."

Cissy could not stop her self as she nodded to him and allowed him to pull her down on to the bed. Before either of them could stop it they were kissing, Harry's hands roamed all over her body and she soon went beyond the point of no return. As soon as she was naked Harry had eagerly placed himself between her legs and was about to begin, "Harry please, do it slowly, it's been a long time since I was fourteen."

Harry stopped surprised by her words, "What do you mean?" he asked as he moved to her side so that they could talk a little.

"Harry dear I was sold off to Malfoy on my fourteenth birthday, he forced himself on me just four times in the first four months of our marriage, he has never even been in the same bed as me since I became pregnant with Draco. I was just a breed mare for him and I had served my purpose, there was no love, not even friendliness between us, he liked young boys. I gave him what he wanted from a woman which was just that evil little thing that came out of me. I didn't even get to raise the child I gave him; he had the elves take care of Draco until he was old enough to be taught how to be like his father. I hate them both with a passion and have prayed to be free of them since the moment we were married. I begged Sirius to set me free as soon as he became Lord Black. So again I ask you to go slow, and remember I have only ever had sex four times in my life. I was just a week or so over fifteen when that vile little beast left my body." Cissy told him while unconsciously trying to get him back between her legs where he had been before they started to talk.

Harry looked at her with a look of real tenderness in his eyes "Well that's four times more than me, you will have to tell me what you want and I will try to be gentle." That said he slowly entered her gateway to bliss.

Cissy could not understand what was happening, she was not quite thirty one yet and yet she had been sleeping with a sixteen year old for two weeks, two weeks that they had hardly left the bed, a bed where she had discovered the joy and pleasure that a woman could feel from making love. Sadly it was time for them to get back to normality as Harry needed to return to his training to be the head of an ancient Wizarding family.

Cissy Hired several tutors, and like the healer, they came over from Ireland. Harry's day was filled with lessons starting with maths and languages taught to him by, of all things, a Leprechaun. Harry had to get through self defence both magical and Muggle, transfiguration, charms and ward breaking three days a week, two days a week he studied runes and then weapons and their uses, and one day was devoted to subjects taught in Muggle schools. His time off was spent with Cissy supposedly to learn about Wizarding society, most of that time they spent in bed together.

Over the three months since the reading of Sirius's will Harry was becoming increasingly annoyed with the Wizarding world. The news papers were daily printing lies about him, saying he was a coward and all the things he was reputed to have done were in actual fact done by Ronald Weasley who had remained out of the limelight and allowed Harry to take the praise for everything so that he could lead a quiet life. What really had Harry truly angry was the fact that Dumbledore repeatedly sent him mail trying to guilt trip him into returning and taking up residence with his relatives once again.

The old fool had even sent Fawkes to simply kidnap him but the magnificent bird being a creature of the light had simply arrived and let Harry know what Dumbledore wanted. After his fourth visit Fawkes did not return to Dumbledore, he asked Harry if he could take refuge in the Potter home until after his burning day when the bond between him and the old wizard would end. Fawkes quite angrily said that on his next rebirth he would not be renewing the old bond; Dumbledore was no longer worthy of a phoenix familiar.

The day that Fawkes took up residence Cissy lay in bed with Harry and made a huge decision. "Harry, could I have a baby, your baby. You need an heir to the Black name and I want a child that comes from love and not rape, a child I can raise that I… we can be proud of, I need to prove to myself and others that that monster I gave birth to was a product of his father raising him to hate and teaching him how superior he was, my first child was taken from me before he was one year old and raised to hate others by his father.

I want to be a real mother Harry, and there is very little chance of me ever finding anyone who wants the ex-wife of a Malfoy. I'm not asking you to marry me, or make any commitments. I will never complain if you fall in love with someone else and marry them, we both know we will never fall in love with each other so let's just say that we are truly intimate friends who saw the true reality that you need an heir in case you don't live through the war."

Harry's answer was to dispel the contraception charm she used and to enter her again with the whisper in her ear "Maybe you should take a fertility potion for lunch."

One year had passed since Hermione had last seen her once best friend. When she had made the decision to blame Harry for her injury instead of herself, she had not foreseen exactly how much that look of hate in his eyes would hurt. She knew now after the nightmares she had been having why those cold hate filled eyes seemed to haunt her, even now one year later she still saw those same previously wonderful love filled eyes with the hate in them whenever she thought of him and closed her eyes for a few moments. The hurt she felt in her heart was always there always telling her she had made a really horrendous mistake in throwing his love away.

Of course it did not help that what had happened and what she and the others did to Harry was common knowledge around Hogwarts, she was completely friendless now just as she had been when she had arrived in the magical world. Along with the others who had gone to the ministry she was rejected by everyone inside the school, even some of the professors, for driving Harry Potter from the school and the magical world.

A year had passed since that first day spent by the order searching for him. At the beginning of the search even people in the order had shunned Harry's old friends after Ron's mother Molly had informed them what they had all done. Dumbledore had eventually been forced into revealing the prophecy that said that only Harry could kill Voldemort, and he only revealed it when he did, so that his older Order members would accept the young ones into the order to increase their numbers that might convince Harry to return. The fight against Voldemort was not going well and the search for Harry intensified.

Ron, Neville, Ginny, Luna and Hermione having been in the order for quite some time, had finally got a mission from Dumbledore who had a lead on Harry from Remus, and were quickly supplied with a portkey to take them to America.

Harry had had an odd week, he and Cissy had finally parted company, he would miss her and his two elves who had stayed to look after her, of that he was in no doubt. They had found the perfect home for her and their son Michael William Black, in Ontario well away from the world of magic. Their parting was about as friendly as it could be between two people who had been having sex for a year, they were really close but neither actually loved the other. Cissy had what she had asked him for all those months ago, and he had an heir for the Black family name. He had an emergency portkey to use when he wanted to see his son urgently, and Cissy had promised he would always be welcome to spend some private time with her when ever he wanted to visit.

The day after they parted Harry had moved south into America. He quickly found and bought a small house on the outskirts of Washington and he had been to see a Native American medicine man about his head aches. The medicine man had discovered and then removed what he called 'a part of a dark spirit' from his scar. Two days later he had woke up feeling far more powerful than he had ever felt before.

Over the year he had been free Harry had grown up in many different ways. He conducted his head of house business for the two houses through the Goblins of what ever country he and Cissy were visiting, he had a son and heir so he no longer had to worry about the Black family line dying out. To make sure his son and Cissy were safe he had moved away from them and settled into a quiet neighbourhood of Washington. Just a few streets away from the Washington magical district.

On the Friday morning he had been to the bank to set up a trust fund for Michael along with an account for Cissy. Leaving the bank he had found a parking ticket on his windscreen. Later on his way to do some shopping there was the sighting he had made earlier in the day on his mind. He was almost convinced he had seen Hermione Granger overtake him driving a white people carrier. He would not have been so convinced had he not believed he saw a flash of red hair as the vehicle passed him, he would not have even been there to see them if he had not stopped off at the courts office to pay the parking fine.

Harry arrived home to find his front door was open; slowly he pulled his Walther pistol from his hidden holster and gently pushed the door open while ducking to the right. He was surprisingly not surprised when two stunning spells whisked past him. Diving into the house he landed on his stomach and did two complete rolls before he found a target. Harry let off three shots and three people fell to the floor screaming in pain, their shin bones broken by the well placed bullets.

Harry was looking for his next target when he heard Hermione Grangers voice, "Harry don't shoot, it's us, your friends from Hogwarts."

Harry carefully got to his feet his gun pointing at the woman in front of him. "Drop the wands or I'll start shooting again," he hissed, the coldness of his voice actually scaring them.

Hermione was the first to do as he told them, as soon as they had all followed her lead Harry had them all stand against the wall furthest from their wands. "If any of you have a spare wand you best throw it over here because believe me I will start shooting again and I won't give a shit who gets hit." He growled as he saw the injured Lupin awkwardly pull out a back up wand and throw it over.

"So what the hell do you bunch of cowardly shits want that would merit breaking into my home and firing spells at me? You Granger, you've always been a mouthy bitch, you can answer for all of you." He asked anger showing through in his face and voice while he threw their wands out of the door and onto the lawn.

Hermione was having trouble holding back the tears that wanted to escape, she had never even contemplated the idea that he may no longer be the boy she had grown up with, been best friends with. As she stood looking at the hate that was radiating off him it finally began to dawn on her how serious what they had done truly was. She knew he had heard them as they told Mrs Weasley they no longer wanted to know him, but she had not until that point realised, they, his former friends had been like family to him, and with the hate he showed her she knew her question of whether Harry had liked her as more than a friend, was yes he had, but she had pushed that feeling of love over the thin line that exists between love and hate.

"Harry we were sent to take you back home," she answered in an almost whisper.

"The name is Lord Potter to you Granger, when you go back I would stay away from the brain dead red head, what ever brain disease he has, you seem to be catching it. Just in case you happen to be too infected with his stupidity I will explain some thing to you. I won't say it too fast just so you will be able to understand. This is my Home now, you scum are simply a bad dream from the past, a past I intend never to visit again. Now you best piss off, those three idiots seem to be bleeding all over my nice clean floor, and the last thing I want is their filth on my floor." Harry was pointing the pistol and indicating with it they should go.

Luna and Ginny helped to get Ron and Neville mobile, while Remus managed to struggle on his own. Hermione waited as her former friends made their way out of the door. "Ha… Lord Potter, what happened to you, why are you so evil now?" she asked as she turned back to look at him.

Harry's answer came from deep within letting out feelings he had suppressed before. "It's not me that's evil Granger; it's you, the one I loved, and those with you who I thought of as family. You are the ones who turned evil on me, stole from me and tossed me away when I needed you more than ever before. I loved you, thought we would always be together, but when I was hurting, when I was feeling guilty, my heart being torn apart about what had happened, you Injured and Sirius dying you threw me away like a piece of filthy trash. You lot are no better than Voldemort and his worshipers.

Did you know Dumbledore locked me in his office within an half an hour of you being rushed to hospital instead of letting me go with you. He kept me locked in his office, chose to sit there with his stupid grandfather smile and told me things I should have been told years ago, things that if I had known we would never have gone on that stupid mission. Your wonderful thieving, kidnapping, headmaster that you think so highly of, is the reason you were hurt. He is the reason for Sirius dying and dozens more being crippled, and for who knows how many more needless deaths. Your idol Dumbledore is responsible for more deaths than Voldemort and Grindelwald together.

He kept me away from you when I was going crazy with worry about you, and then when I really needed you and my family none of you wanted me. So sod off back to that idiotic evil thieving old man and tell him to find someone who gives a shit about what is happening in your world of hate and evil because I am done with it. I'd rather die than help them again. Tell the whiskered old fool you are all on your own against Voldemort because the one prophesied to kill him won't lift a finger to help any of you after you turned on him."

Hermione looked over her shoulder at the five faces that all had looks of shame on them, "Take Harry's message back, and add that if he sends anyone else after Harry they will have to face me first. Now go because I hate you for talking me into doing what we did, almost as much as Harry does for doing it to him."

The five magical order members began to see what their petty fears and jealousy fuelled by Ron's usual insecurities had done. They knew for certain that Harry would indeed die before he would help them, they had destroyed his people saving thing as Hermione had called it, leaving behind a young man filled with hate for their entire world.

Ginny commented just before the activation of their return portkey "I guess we are lucky what we so selfishly did didn't turn Harry into another dark lord, or even worse another death eater helping Voldemort."

Harry stood his gun still pointed at Hermione, the glare on his face had not softened at all "Why the hell are you still here?" he asked with a slight snarl.

"I need to talk to you, I refuse to be a coward again so I'm staying until you either shoot me or take some time to listen to me," Hermione replied trying to control the shaking that threatened to make her legs collapse.

"Shut the door," he gestured at the door before he holstered his pistol in the holster hidden behind his back inside his trousers.

Hermione stepped out and retrieved her wand from where he had thrown it, shutting the door when she returned to the room she then placed the wand on the coffee table in front of him. Taking a seat opposite him she tried to look him in the eye but failed, she knew she would not have the courage if she saw that look of hate again. Sitting with her hands twisting together nervously she took a few steadying breaths before she spoke.

"I know we all made a mistake Harry, but mine was the worst. I am… was in love with you and should have…" she paused before speaking again "When I was in the hospital recovering, Dumbledore came to see me, he told me you were going to die, probably quite soon. He explained to me what caused you to have the visions, how he thought that you were connected to he-who… 'Voldemort' he said that Voldemort would not take long before he possessed you completely because you have a Horcrux in your scar…"

"Oh so that's what that was!" Harry exclaimed interrupting her.

Hermione lifted her head and stared at him as what he had said registered in her mind. "Harry did you say 'was'?"

"Yes, had it removed a while back, took me two days to recover but it was worth all the bloody pain I went through when the ritual was done." He answered simply.

Hermione shot to her feet and started to pace thumping her fist into her other hand, she then growled in a low voice "That lying bastard."

Harry watching her did not quite believe what she had just said, miss I don't swear, I'm prim and proper Granger swore. "Pardon? What did you just say?" he asked slightly shocked but intrigued about what or who had made her swear.

Hermione stopped her pacing and turned to face him "Dumbledore, he told me there was no way to remove the Horcrux and that you had to die when you killed Voldemort. I was bloody terrified, I was scared of loosing the one I loved, scared that Voldemort would make you do evil things to us… to me, the old bastard had me believing you were not the Harry we knew and if I remained close to you there was a chance that you would rape me. Voldemort would show you how to place a horcrux in the resulting baby. Harry I was mixed up with all those potions, scared and then Ron started going on and on about how each year you almost got us killed… I just… I just… I'm so sorry Harry, I should never have believed him, but he's Dumbledore. I thought he had all the answers… I was stupid wasn't I?"

Harry did not want to believe her but then he knew she had almost worshiped the old man, and she had an odd almost obsessive trust in authority figures he had never seen in anyone else. Picking up her wand and placing it inside his shirt he stood up. "Come on, I need to speak to Cissy."

As they drove north Hermione filled Harry in on what was happening in Britain with Voldemort and the order of the phoenix. How she and the others had been recruited just after Dumbledore had escaped the Goblins She was surprised that Harry did not seem at all bothered when she told him that outside Hogwarts Ron was treated like a hero, because Dumbledore had let Rita Skeeter know that it was Ron that had done everything that Harry had done, and had been to modest to step into the lime light so he let you take the accolade. He was completely unmoved when she told him that she, along with Ron and the others were treated like dirt by the student body of Hogwarts for what they had done to Harry and what Ron was being praised in the prophet for.

After several hours driving when Harry had not said a single warm word to her they arrived at a nice tree lined street on the very outskirts of the Canadian city. Harry parked the car in the drive of a rather modest two story house and led the way to the kitchen door.

Hermione could not believe it when Harry was greeted by the ex Mrs Malfoy with a short almost squeak followed by a deep kiss.

"Oh Harry so good to see you so soon, Michael is in the nursery, he should be fast asleep. Will you be staying a while, I'm sure he would be so happy to see his daddy," Cissy said before looking at Hermione with disgust and asked "What the hell have you brought that piece of trash here for?"

"She has something I want you to hear, I want to know what you think. Maybe some advice about what to do as long as you don't say I should go back and help them. We will be staying a short while if it's ok, I would like to spend a little time with the little one as well." Harry answered as he took a seat on one of the breakfast bar stools.

Cissy had them sit at the table in the kitchen while she went to fetch something from her small study. On her return she gave Hermione a pencil with a truth rune carved into it along with a pad of A4 paper on which she had placed truth runes. Anyone writing with the pencil on that paper would only be able to write the truth. Turning to Harry Cissy told him everything was ready all he needed to do was ask Granger to write down what it was he wished for Cissy to know.

After several sheets of the writing pad were filled Hermione handed the whole thing back to Cissy. Everything that Hermione had said to Harry along with several things she had not were all written down. Cissy read it all carefully and saw something there that the two younger ones had missed, all the sentences spoken by Dumbledore were spoken in the way the dark lord used words to brain wash his followers into believing he was a pureblood.

"Your wand please Miss Granger," Cissy said holding her hand out to Hermione.

Hermione not fully knowing why the woman wanted her wand, but trusting her because Harry trusted her looked at him as he pulled her wand from his pocket and handed it to Cissy.

Cissy held the wand and was surprised to find it did not feel too different than her own felt, without bothering to warn Hermione she pointed it at the younger woman and chanted "terminus fidelitas alica quod deliciae."

Hermione was instantly surrounded by a red glow that seemed to be battling with her blue/white aura, they all watched for several seconds until the red faded. Both Harry and Hermione wanted to know what Cissy had done and what had just happened.

Cissy lost no time as she simply stated "Needed to be rid of some loyalty spells. Seems from the red glow and the time it took to destroy them there must have been more than a handful. She's clear now Harry. Oh by the way that was Dumbledore's favourite spell he used it on several people when I was at Hogwarts. I could tell she was fighting against them while she wrote these notes out. I reckon you can trust her now because what ever the old bastard did to her was over come by what she feels for you. Your only problem is she is most likely in love with you."

While Hermione was sitting feeling furious, happy, embarrassed, stupid and several other things all seemingly at the same time Harry was feeling quite happy, he could let go of the anger and if he was willing to admit to the jealousy and hate he had been trying so hard to hold onto. If Cissy was right he could reveal how he really felt about the young woman he had tried so hard to hate.

Hermione was quite surprised to discover her previous belief in the infallibility of those in authority had completely vanished. She felt totally different about Dumbledore, Hogwarts and the Wizarding government. She tried to express how she was feeling to the two people she was sitting with but she was having problems putting it all into words. She finished up saying "Harry, if I have to then I will take on Dumbledore myself before I let him control you again. I'm in love with you and I intend to find someway to prove it to you."

The grin on his face was enough to let her know that he had at least one idea of how she could do that. Which she did after losing her virginity to him and making sure her barrier was utterly destroyed several very satisfying times a little later that night as she shared a bed with Harry in one of the spare rooms. She fell asleep with Harry buried inside her and feeling wonderful, she was also planning to ask Harry quite soon if she could be the one to give him an heir for the Potter name, just as Cissy had done for the Black name.

Once they were back in Washington Harry showed Hermione just how clever he was at avoiding Dumbledore and his order. Selling the house he had bought he simply moved them to the next street knowing that the old fool would expect Harry to up sticks and move somewhere miles away, probably to another country. Together they settled into the new house, making a life for them selves in the ordinary world. The first night in their new home just as Harry was beginning to make love with her Hermione asked if she could have his baby to give him a Potter heir. Harry paused as he started to make love with her before refusing and then after a short pause he said "Not till we are married."

Just as Harry expected Albus Dumbledore's search for him was shifted away from Washington and after several weeks from the American continent to other areas of the world.

Six months after the failed attempt to return Harry to Britain the truth about Ron Weasley was released in the press. The day after that Albus Dumbledore was re-arrested by the Goblins after entering Gringotts supposedly in disguise. His theft from the Potter fortune as well as several other vaults was revealed to the Wizarding world and along with him the crimes of all his accomplices including Molly and Arthur Weasley were revealed. Narcissa Black smiled as she read the report she had been sent, some of the contacts she still knew in Britain had done quite a good job in bringing the self proclaimed leader of the light and his minions down. She sent a copy of the report to Harry, after reading it he had it framed and placed it on the wall of his study. He found it funny that even after laying claim to all the Weasley land and property they still owed him quite a sum of money, they would be working for the rest of their lives to pay back the debt while they would remain penniless.

Voldemort was taken out six moths after Harry accepted Hermione's apology and moved home, the so called dark lord was blasted with a twelve gauge shotgun fired by a twelve year old muggle girl who was trying to protect her father, Voldemort's only tie to the mortal realm had been in Harry's scar and without it he died just as everyone else did. The news of how he was killed caused quite a shift in the Wizarding world as wizards began to use fire arms to shoot death eater raiders. The pureblood supremacists were soon down to just a handful, and of those all were unmarked Voldemort followers who had sufficient funds to escape the retribution of the masses by fleeing the country. To Harry the future looked quite bright, the wizarding world of his native country was actually beginning to drag them selves up to date and to embrace the non magical world around them in a way that had not been done since the time of Merlin. His wife was pregnant and his fortune was growing, ready for the next generations of Potter's and Black's.

Over the next several years four children were born to Harry and Hermione Potter. With Voldemort dead and the blood bigots destroyed Hermione had Cissy move in with them so that Harry could have all his children around him as they grew. He could not have been any happier than he was. Hermione was happy that she had got her man eventually despite a dark lord named Dumbledore doing all he could to keep them apart. Cissy was happy as she got to live with Harry and his wife, and at least once a month when Hermione was indisposed for several days she was able to share his body. She ended up with three children all with the name Black.

The end…


	32. Chapter 32 The Potter Matriarch

A/Note just a short odd little tale of a very angry Hermione going back in time looking for revenge and a chance to stop her life being ruined.

The Potter Matriarch

Albus Dumbledore stepped from the dingy room where he had just held an interview for a divination teacher. He had decided within two minutes of hearing the woman speak that she was a fraud despite being the niece of a famous seer. Just as he decided he had heard enough the interviewee suddenly went stiff and in a very rough sounding voice she made a prophecy. As soon as she had finished speaking his manipulating mind started to work out how he could use the prophecy to his own advantage.

He had taken just three steps out of the room when his brother informed him that the death eater Snape had overheard what ever was being talked about, but Aberforth had thrown him out before he had heard all that was being said. Again Albus mind instantly began to think of how he could use the information supplied by his brother.

Stepping out of the run down ancient pub and into the dark rainy night after spending some time working out his plots and plans Albus Dumbledore set off toward his school, Hogwarts. He had taken just a few paces when a sudden and severe pain shot through his back. He knew instantly that he had been stabbed. What he did not know was who stabbed him and that the weapon used was still stuck inside his kidney. With the pain he was finding it hard to concentrate hard enough to apparate away to the hospital ward of the school where he could get some help.

A cold hard female voice cleared his mind as the woman behind him growled. "Time to die Dumbledore, you will manipulate no more. You will not live to ruin my life amongst all the others that will die if you live." The female voice seemed to get even colder as she hissed quite loudly "Incendio."

Albus Dumbledore died in agony as his body was filled with fire. As he fell to the floor at the feet of an old woman the last thing he heard was. "I came back in time a hundred years for this. So many innocents will live their own lives now. My Harry will not become your weapon, you vile man, I curse you to the depths of hell for what you have done and for what you planned to do. But don't worry it's for the greater good." He was then lifted into the air and the old woman floated his body to the back of the pub and dropped him on top of Sybil Trelawney and Severus Snape. He was dead and like the other two he was transfigured into a partially burned wooden log before she walked away.

Lily Potter a look of surprise on her face, was wondering who would be knocking so late at night, she stood with her wand pointed at the front door to their little cottage as her husband James stepped up to the left hand side of it and asked "Who's there?"

Instead of hearing the password that the marauders were meant to give what they heard was a female voice. "I am Madam Hermione Jane Potter, the Potter Matriarch. James you need to allow me in, I am here on my husbands behalf."

James was shocked he had never heard of the Potter matriarch, nor had he heard of anyone by the name of Hermione. Not knowing what to do but quite curious he took a risk and leaned across the door to look through the peephole that Lily had bought from a Muggle shop and made him fit to the door. What he saw outside was an old woman who had to be older than Dumbledore, but more importantly to James she was wearing the female version of the head of Potter family ring. Which she had on display. He knew instantly when he saw the ring how this woman had found them, he also knew that the ring had to be real because the family magic would not allow anyone who was not entitled to, to wear the real ring, he also knew that that same family magic would never allow a copy to be made, not even a crude copy.

Turning to his pregnant wife he looked into her eyes and with a small smile he quietly uttered "keep your wand out." He then opened the door for the old woman. Standing back he allowed the door to open and stood so that he could stun the woman if she made any wrong moves. After waiting for a minute with no one entering he took a quick glance around the door frame only to see an empty step. Turning to tell Lily that she was gone he was quite shocked to see her standing behind Lily and smiling at him.

"H… H… How… How on earth?" James muttered as he watched the old woman.

Seeing where James was looking Lily spun around and pointed her wand at the old woman. "I am the Potter Matriarch so it is obvious that the wards will allow me through them. I didn't really need to knock at the door, could have simply popped in, I would have done had you not been pregnant, but I could not risk either of you firing a hex and it hitting Lily when I deflected it." Hermione almost chuckled at the shock on the two faces of her future parents in law.

"Right Lily go up and pack you are leaving this place tonight, and James don't argue, Dumbledore is not the man you think he is. He is the one who created Voldemort. You should have listened to your wife not that murdering old dark bastard." Hermione told them in an authoritive voice.

James spluttered and Lily just stared at the old woman. Finally James was able to say "But Dumbledore is the leader of the light, he has the wards on the house monitored, we are safe here."

Hermione looked at Lily and asked "Is he always so dumb, or is it an occasional thing? Actually don't bother answering that, my old man was just as bad. James your home is not safe, wormtail is the orders traitor and Dumbledore knows it. Your great leader of the light is far worse than Voldemort, who I will sort out later… Tell me Lily how many people died during the second world war?" Hermione added as if it was an after thought.

Lily though shocked at what this old woman was saying answered quietly with a rather sad voice, "Millions around the world."

"Did you know it was Dumbledore and his lover Gellert 's idea to start that war? Did you know that Dumbledore and Grindelwald were lovers? That Dumbledore did not duel the dark lord, he stabbed his lover while he shared his bed, because he refused to end the war when Dumbledore thought there had been enough Muggles killed to make it possible for the wizards to enslave and control those remaining? That story of the great duel between two great wizards was all a lie. Grindelwald welcomed Dumbledore into his home and his bed that night and got a knife in his back for it. Oh and James you should warn the Longbottom's that Wormtail is the traitor because as soon as that vile man learns you have vanished he will set them up in your place." Hermione almost growled with her hate for the man who had ruined Sirius life and caused the death of the Potters among many others including that of her school friends. Her anger at Dumbledore and the British wizarding world was not abated even after she had rid the world of him.

"How can we be expected to believe what you are saying, we have grown up respecting Dumbledore, how do we know what you say is true?" James asked.

Lily could not help saying something "Speak for your self when it comes to Dumbledore James, I did not grow up fed on all the crap about how great he is, and you know darn well I don't bloody trust him, nor did I want to come here and live in his old home."

Hermione turned to look at Lily and nodded and then she looked at James. "Look James as the family Potter Matriarch I could order you to do as I said, but my main concern is to get Lily away from that old mans grasping hands and this foul bigoted world. Nothing in this world is more important to me than keeping her safe. I would swear an oath on my magic but I don't have a wand. I am asking you to trust me, I am asking you to trust a thousand, and more years of Potter ancestors and your own eyes, you can see the rings I wear. It's time to drop the stupid marauders childish ways and grow up, listen to your wife James, adult life is not for fools or stupid foolish pranks, its time to actually honour your wedding vows, you now owe your entire allegiance to your family, your wife and the son you are expecting in just a few days, not two bloody idiot school boy pals who will never grow up." Hermione growled.

James head dipped as he felt ashamed of how even after getting married he had still thought of the marauders as his first priority, he had thought that they were the ones who had earned his allegiance. Looking up at the young woman he had spent years trying to persuade to be his girlfriend, the young woman he had declared his undying love too, had married her and then almost as soon as they were facing the responsibility of being parents he had reverted back to being with his two best friends and continually joking around with them as often as he could. He had listened to them in trusting Dumbledore instead of trusting his wife who had never trusted the old headmaster who allowed the purebloods to act the way they did in his school. Nodding to the family matriarch he rushed to help his wife pack some things to take with them. He did not bother to pack any of the pranking stuff that he had stored. It was time to grow up.

Not really having any other choice than to obey the elder Potter due to the family magic, James and Lily prepared to leave the small cottage they had been living in for the past few months. As Lily and James packed their belongings upstairs Hermione made two portkeys with two different destinations. One they would use to get to safety, the second portkey was dropped onto the floor and left behind.

Fifteen minutes after Hermione arrived they all left through the wards of the cottage that kept the two Potter's inside safe as if they were not there, by using one of the portkeys produced by Hermione. Just a few seconds later they arrived in a Muggle neighbourhood in Oxford. Hermione led them to a house that obviously belonged to a wealthy Muggle family. Knocking on the door the three magical people waited for someone to answer the door.

Helen Granger opened the door and stepped back in shock as she looked at the people on the door step. It took her a minute to get her self under control before she managed to ask "Great Grandmother, how? I mean you… you died almost ten years ago… didn't you?"

Hermione chuckled, she had expected such a reaction, she had been told from when she was a little girl that she was the spitting image of her great, great grandmother. With no intention of revealing her true identity she simply replied "Not every thing is as it seems. Now might we come in, I have need of your help."

Helen still in shock stepped back while opening the door wide for her visitors to enter. Hermione followed by Lily then James stepped into the hallway and waited as Helen shut the door. As they walked down the hallway to the living room they all stared at a large photograph of Great Grandmother Hermione, Even Hermione took a look at the photo portrait and marvelled at just how much she looked like her great, great grandmother. Stepping into the living room they were met by Richard Granger who recognised Hermione instantly as the old woman in the photo in the hall.

It was fifteen months later that Thomas Marvolo Riddle stepped up to the front door of the small cottage in Godrics Hollow intending to kill his enemies who had escaped him a few times, his intension to show the wizards of Britain it was a fatal mistake to defy him. Without hesitating Tom pulled his wand and blew the front door away. Stepping into the small cottage with a large grin on his face and a gleam in his eye he began to call out "Come out, come out where ev…" his voice trailed off as the portkey in the welcome mat he was standing on activated. The last thing Thomas Marvolo Riddle saw as the portkey reached its destination was a rather grubby looking piece of old cloth hanging right where he was headed. He had no idea that it was the veil of death until after he had passed through it.

The ministry staff that were on duty that night were alerted to the use of the veil of death when the ward alarms began to go off letting everyone know that the wards had been breached. Several of the senior night staff stood and witnessed five bright green balls of light that entered the Atrium from different directions and sank straight through the floor. Suicide alarms in the execution chamber alerted them to the final destination of the lights.

Had anyone on the ministry staff known what those lights were they would have known that the evil self styled lord Voldemort and his horcrux's had just passed through the veil of death. As the last light passed into the veil Death eaters the length and breadth of Britain began to collapse as their magic left them. Two hundred and seventy small balls of white light followed the green lights through the veil. The magic of every death eater was removed from their bodies through the dark mark they wore on their arms. Without magic to keep them alive the entire death eater army died within a few minutes of their lord.

The Granger and Potter family had left Britain and lived quite happily on the same street in a small mixed community on the Amalfi coast. Harry asked the girl who lived just a few doors away to be his girlfriend when he was just thirteen years old, Hermione had said yes instantly making bothe teens happy. Both normal and magical people lived in harmony together in the small community where evryone knew everyone else. The two teens attended the same school and happily put up with the playful remarks by their class mates when their relationship was revealed. It was a relationship that nothing short of a love potion could tear apart.

Hermione Potter eventually convinced both the Potters and the Grangers to make a marriage contract for Hermione and Harry, she died in her sleep three days later with a small smile on her face, knowing that her well planned objective had been completed without a hitch. It had been worth all those years of study, she knew that there would now be no potion induced marriages planned by Dumbledore for her and her one true love, a love that was only allowed to be free after the death of two Weasley's. Now she knew that her younger self would have far more than the ten short years as the wife of Harry James Potter that she had had. She knew that now when Harry and the younger Hermione married they would not be far too old to have children or a far to short and mostly unfulfilling sex life. Those that ruined the lives of so many were now out of the picture and paying for their evil.

As for the marriage contract, it turned out that the contract was never required. On Harry's seventeenth birthday he asked his girlfriend of many years to marry him, and Hermione's answer was an instant yes. Neither were ever told about the contract, and lived unaware of how their lives could have turned out if it were not for the hate and anger of the Potter matriarch Hermione Jane Potter had for a foul manipulative evil old man.

In Britain the Potters were famed for ending the war against Voldemort that had taken so many lives, despite the fact that there was absolutely no evidence what so ever to support the story. The only truth that was known was that the Potters had rented the small house in Godrics Hollow from Dumbledore before the old man vanished with his boyfriend Snape, and that Voldemort and the Potters were gone, having left no trace of what had happened to them. The Potters were still declared hero's, books telling various stories of how Lily and James had fought and rid the world of the dark lord were quite popular for many, many years...

Harry and Hermione Potter married and lived safe and happy lives, both living well past 100 years. Together they had a small family of one boy and one girl.


End file.
